COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – A family of four, including an infant, escaped from their home on a sub-freezing night after a fire tore through the house.
Firefighters responded to Tonka Avenue around 2:20 Sunday morning after receiving several 911 calls about a home on fire. The first firefighters to deploy were able to see the glow from the flames from the fire station.
“Upon arrival, we had heavy fire showing from all sides of the home,” said Colorado Springs Fire Department spokesperson Ashley Franco. “… From what I’m being told from firefighters on scene, from our battalion chief who was here, within about two minutes [of arrival], the home was just engulfed heavily.”
With how fast the fire grew, Franco credited working smoke alarms for saving the family’s lives.
“The smoke alarms alerted them to the fire; they were able to get out,” she said. “I am told the homeowner of the home, he went back inside to ensure both of his kiddos were out safely. Really great effort on him. I’m sure that was a very scary situation, as you’re envisioning.”
When firefighters went in to begin their attack, Franco said one fell through a short staircase.
“We were able to get that firefighter out very quickly. They were evaluated, treated and released on scene.”
Three other firefighters sustained minor injuries due to the icy scene. Temperatures overnight in west Colorado Springs hovered near zero.
“So, you can imagine we’re flowing gallons and gallons of water here, and it is very, very frigid, so that water is going to freeze up very quickly,” Franco said of the perils crews faced during the firefight.
Most of that firefight took place outside due to the sheer volume of flames in the home, Franco said.
“We started fighting the fire from the inside, and then we had to move outside. That’s just due to the amount of fire in the home and the structural integrity of the home. We wanted to ensure our firefighters are safe, so we pulled them out.”
A second alarm was called on the fire due to the sheer size and the need for more resources. Forty-five firefighters in all battled the blaze, knocking most of it down by 3 a.m.
Two parents, a 4-year-old, and the 1-month-old infant are currently displaced. Firefighters are still searching for the family’s dog.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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