FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – An early morning house fire in Fort Lauderdale left a family displaced and destroyed much of their home, authorities confirmed.
A Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue spokesperson said the blaze broke out around 5:10 a.m. Tuesday at a residence located near the 1500 block of Northwest 11th Street.
The tenant of the home, Antwanette Damon, said the fire began when a candle left burning next to a bed ignited nearby materials.
FLFR said crews arrived to find heavy smoke pouring from the rear of the home. It took firefighters about 15 minutes to knock down the flames, which had spread rapidly through the structure.
Four adults inside the home escaped without injury. A pet python was also rescued unharmed.
“The guy is asking does she bite. I said no. He said good. So, he went in and grabbed the cage and brought her outside to me,” said Joshua Freeman, Damon’s nephew.
Damon told Local 10 News that the fire upended her plans for Thanksgiving.
“I had planned to cook dinner for the family, but now I have nothing,” she said. “Everything is smoke-damaged.”
The home sustained extensive damage, with charred interiors and lingering smoke. Damon noted that multiple refrigerators, freezers, and personal belongings were ruined.
The Red Cross is assisting her family with temporary accommodations as they assess their next steps.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to FLFR spokesman Frank Guzman.
Freeman and his family have set up a gofundme link to help them get back on their feet. To donate, click on this link.
To make a financial donation to their local Red Cross to help people affected by home fires and other disasters in the United States and around the world, please visit: redcross.org/donate.