A raging fire has caused extensive damage to at least 4 homes in this Sunrise neighborhood near Northwest 106 Avenue and 30 Place.
“It started more or less around 2:15 p.m. A neighbor who lives around the corner was passing by and saw smoke coming out. He approached and saw that there was also a fire He was the one who called 911,” said a neighbor.
Until late afternoon, firefighters fought to extinguish the flames.
John McNamara of the City of Sunrise Fire Department says:
“Upon arrival, our firefighters found strong flames and heavy smoke coming from behind the houses. And close neighbors also had to be evacuated.
“There were several fire companies trying to put out the fire, and all the police were there too. The whole block was filled with police. There were more police than residents,” says a neighbor.
The causes of the fire are still under investigation. But the locals have a guess.
“Apparently one of the neighbors put a propane tank inside the house and it appears to have exploded. Two explosions were heard, my stepfather tells me. And of course it had to be because the houses here don’t have gas,” says a neighbor.
A woman who was in the burned house managed to escape unscathed and firefighters rescued several pets, although others did not suffer the same fate.
“Unfortunately, three cats that one of the owners of a house had also died,” said a neighbor.
The Sunrise Fire Department enlisted the help of colleagues in the towns of Lauderhill, Tamarac and Plantation.