A family of eight is now displaced and one was injured after a fire erupted early Wednesday morning in their Fort Lauderdale home, officials said.
The blaze began about 5:40 a.m. at the home in the 3000 block of Northwest 17th Street, and firefighters were called about people trapped inside, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Garrett Pingol said.
When firefighters arrived and found heavy flames, the eight people inside had escaped, he said. One person who was injured in the blaze was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition.
Three adults and five children lived in the home. Pingol said the amount of damage from the fire will require an “extensive investigation” to determine what caused it and where it started.
Tiffany Gonzalez, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross South Florida Region, said their team members were at the scene to give health and mental health services to the family and are helping them recover.
