SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A newly-released 911 recording gives more insight into the panic a family faced this week when the home they’re living in caught fire.
The Seminole County Fire Department and Sanford Fire Department responded to the scene on Blue Rock Drive around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. They said a family escaped with their dog in the middle of the night.
The call for help came from a mother, who can be heard telling rescue crews to please “hurry!” while on the line to 911.
“Do you see flames or smoke?” the dispatcher asked. “Yes, ma’am. The whole garage is on fire right now,” she replied.
At one point during the call, you can hear fireworks start to go off in the background.
[RELATED: Cities consider merging fire services with Seminole County]
“How long until they’re here?” the caller asked.
“They’re coming as fast as they can, ma’am. I’ve got them coming from all different directions,” the dispatcher said.
Firefighters said the family escaped with their dog. By the time they got there, the fire had spread from the garage to the eaves and attic. The home is unlivable.
Our News 6 team visited the neighborhood on Thursday and saw the garage and windows boarded up. There was also a vehicle in the driveway with visible damage to the front end and a shattered windshield.
Neighbors we spoke with said they were concerned the flames might spread to nearby houses as well. Michael Broadnax said his daughter lives just a few doors down.
“She was pretty panicked because it was late at night, and of course it was blazing so out of control,” said Broadnax.
Broadnax said it’s a “miracle” the family made it out alright, but he feels for their loss.
“They lost everything,” said Broadnax. “To me, that’s what’s terrible. They lost everything they had.”
Fire investigators believe the fire started in the garage unintentionally.
[RELATED: Seminole County prepares for hurricane season with full-scale exercise]