An unattended fireplace at a home in Orlando, Fla., has been blamed for sparking a house fire that left two families homeless and killed two pet dogs early Tuesday.
Firefighters responded to reports of flames at 417 N. Fern Creek in Orlando just before 3 a.m.
Four people inside two floors of the home were able to jump out of windows and run through doors to escape the flames. However, two German shepherds died in the fire.
Garry Diehl, who was renting the bottom floor of the house with his family, said he rushed his children to safety after waking up to smoke in the house.
"I was freaking out," Diehl said. "My first thought was to get my kids out and then I was calling 911 to get the fire company out here."
The Diehl family did not have renter's insurance and the Red Cross is putting the family in a nearby hotel until they can get back on their feet, Local 6 reporter Jessica Sanchez said.
Another man who lived upstairs at the home also escaped the fire and must look for another place to live Tuesday, according to the report.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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