A family of three escaped a house fire late last night, along with their two dogs, when the family’s teenage daughter awoke to the smell of smoke.
South Metro Fire Rescue said the girl alerted her father and brother so they could get out of the home, located at 5931 Irish Pat Murphy Drive in the Pinery subdivision of Douglas County, shortly before the home’s smoke alarms were triggered.
About a half dozen people called 911 to report the fire shortly before midnight, including the man who lived there. When firefighters got to the home they found the front deck and the front of the house engulfed in flames about 20 feet high.
Andy Lyon, a spokesman for South Metro Fire Rescue, said the blaze is believed to have started outside by an “improperly discarded cigarette,” and burned fiercely in the attic. It took crews about 45 minutes to get control of the fire.
Lyon did not know the extent of the damage to the home, but said fire crews had to cut holes in the roof for ventilation and had to pull down parts of the ceiling to access the fire in the attic.
“Even though the interior of the home is not burned, there’s a lot of smoke, a lot of water damage,” Lyon said.
According to Lyon, the father and daughter escaped with their cell phones, but that was about it.
“They’ve lost a lot, I can tell you that,” Lyon said.
Lyon said the family’s garage and vehicles also appeared to have been spared.
The Red Cross is assisting the family with temporary housing and other needs.
Franktown Fire also responded to the blaze.
Dan Boniface: 303-954-1104 or dboniface@denverpost.com.
