A Port St. John family went through a terrifying night as they fled to escape their burning home.
Firefighters say a candle started the blaze, which injured one of the family members, WESH 2 News reported.
It happened overnight, sometime after 1 a.m. By the time anyone else saw anything and by the time firefighters could get to the house, most of the damage was done.
"I looked that way, I saw fire, flames shooting out of the house, and fire trucks there and firefighters were putting the fire out," said neighbor Craig Hillard.
Firefighters said a woman who lives in the house was trying to blow out a candle, which somehow ignited some material in the house, along with the woman's hair. She was able to put out her hair and suffered only slight injuries. But by that time the fire was out of control.
Firefighters say five family members had to hurry out of the house as the fire spread from one end of the home, down a hallway to the other.
"We prayed for them the minute we saw that," Hillard said.
Neighbors said the homeowners were in the midst of a major remodeling project. They said the home had been an eyesore in the neighborhood, but lately it's been repainted and almost completely redone inside. Now, all that work is almost wiped out.
Family members are staying with friends.
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