HOUSTON --
A family lost their home in what investigators said was a preventable house fire.
Cy-Fair volunteer firefighters battled flames at a home in the 19200 block of Gettysburg Valley Drive at about 3:30 a.m.
The six people, including four children, who lived inside the home were able to escape without injury.
Lisa Jolvet said her sister woke up coughing because she was choking on smoke.
"By the time I jumped out and go to the middle of the floor, there was so much smoke and she was hollering to get the kids out," Jolvet said.
"It's incredible that God woke me up in time to smell that smoke," Ruthar Manual said.
Detectives said the fire was started by space heater left unattended in the living room.
A firefighter fell through the second floor of the home while doing salvage cleanup, officials said. He was pulled out of a window and taken to Cy-Fair Hospital with a leg injury. He was expected to recover.
Copyright 2011 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.