UNION PARK, Fla. – A homeowner safely escaped a house fire late Thursday in Orange County.
The fire broke out around 11 p.m. in the 700 block of Bernice Court, north of State Road 408 near Union Park.
Orange County firefighters arrived at the home within six minutes and found flames shooting through the roof of the home.
Battalion Chief Billy Richardson said the homeowner smelled smoke coming from the living room, but it's not known what sparked the blaze.
The home did not have working smoke detectors, Richardson said.
"(It) would have made a world of difference here, because they detect smoke early on in the early stages of the fire, so he would have gotten up, probably went to look for it, and made that early call to us," Richardson said. "By the time he noticed it was burning, it was too late for him to do anything but get himself out."
Richardson urged everyone to purchase a working smoke detector.
Officials said about half the home was damaged by the fire.
The state fire marshal will investigate the blaze.
As a precaution, fire crews and Orange County deputies evacuated a nearby assisted living center. No one was injured.
Watch News 6 for updates.