LAUDERHILL, Fla. – Several people were forced out of their homes Tuesday morning after a duplex caught fire in Lauderhill.
Lauderhill Fire Rescue responded to the fire near the 5400 block of Northwest 17th street.
Neighbors told Local 10 News’ Ian Margol that the fire happened around 10 a.m.
Firefighters said that 14 people were left homeless as a result of the fire.
Rodney Smith is one of the people who lived at the duplex and told Local 10 News’ Ian Margol it was his 4-year-old daughter who first spotted the flames.
“I was at work when I got the phone call--my daughter was in the room,” said Smith. “They say she ran out of the room, said there was a fire behind the tv then they ran out the room.”
By the time fire rescue arrived, the room was torched, and smoke was billowing out of the home.
Smith says he’s lost everything and doesn’t know what to do next.
“My kids’ christmas gifts were in there, everything,” he said. “I’m drawing a blank--I don’t know what to say right now, I’m just hurt.”
Smith also told Local 10 News that he lost his own work equipment and customers parts that he was working on in the fire.
“I got to start over now,” he said. “I run a little small business so all of my equipment, air brushes, stuff like that, paints, all of that is gone. I had customers’ stuff in there that I was working on.”
Fire rescue said there were no major injuries as a result of the fire, however, one person sustained minor injuries after trying to break a window to help get others out before fire rescue crews arrived.
Firefighters said that one rabbit was stuck inside however two dogs and another family’s rabbit, survived the fire.
Police are investigating as to what caused the fire.
Lauderhill Fire Rescue sent video to Local 10 News of crews putting out the fire.
Smith has since created a GoFundMe page. If you would like to donate, click here.