Firefighters reported heavy fire conditions on arrival and quickly positioned hose lines around the home to initiate a defensive fire attack. The occupants of the home, a husband and wife, were able to escape the home safely and call 911 from a neighbor’s home. The couple lived inside the 1500 square-foot, wood-frame home with more than a dozen dogs and cats. Two cats did not survive the fire and two dogs are still unaccounted for but are believed to have survived the ordeal. All other animals were reportedly safe and unharmed.
The couple told state and local fire investigators that they were awakened this morning by the sound of the home’s smoke alarm. The pair attempted to rescue as many of their pets as possible in the short amount of time they had before the smoke forced them out of the home. The fire moved quickly into the attic space of the home leaving the family little time to gather personal belongings.
The home has been deemed a total loss and was not insured. Adding to the tragedy, the husband is unable to work due to a disability and the wife was recently laid off, leaving the pair with limited income. The Red Cross was on scene this morning to assist them with obtaining essentials such as food and clothing. The pair will likely stay with family in the area. Brevard County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived quickly and were able to move the couple’s vehicles out of harm’s way.
Fire investigators have determined that the fire originated at the rear of the home inside a Florida room and was likely electrical in nature.
More than two dozen firefighters from Brevard County Fire Rescue, Mims Volunteer Fire Department, and Titusville Fire & Emergency Services were on scene to extinguish the blaze. Crews returned to the scene early this morning just after sunrise to contineu mop up operations at the site.
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