CHARLOTTE, N.C. --
Four people were taken to Carolinas Medical Center while firefighters battled a two-alarm house fire off Idlewild Road early Thursday morning.
Firefighters were called to the home on Springfield Drive at about 5:30 a.m.
“I saw people going back and forth across the street and they were yelling, ‘Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!’ And I ran to the back and saw smoke billowing out of the bedroom,” neighbor Maggie Underwood said.
Neighbors said they saw the father outside, screaming for help. His 11-year-old son, Kevin Boardman, was trapped inside the home and had to be rescued by firefighters. Firefighters found him by following the sound of a dog barking and a cat meowing. The sounds led them to a hallway, where the boy was, they said.
Kevin Boardman was flown to Richmond Hospital in Columbia, where he is in critical condition.
His 17-year-old brother and parents were also hospitalized. They are expected to be OK.
Capt. Rob Brisley with the Charlotte Fire Department said it took more than 40 firefighters about an hour to contain the blaze.
Several dogs and cats died in the fire, officials said. Two cats were rescued.
The flames did not spread to any nearby homes. Brisley said investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.
The Red Cross said it is assisting the family with food, shelter and clothing.
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