ORLANDO, Fla. — An early morning fire Tuesday left an Orlando family homeless, killed a pet cat, and slightly injured a firefighter, according to officials.
- Home burns down, roof collapses in Orlando area
- Propane tanks, fireworks exploded
- Orange firefighters: Cause of fire not determined
The firefighter was treated for a laceration to the hand while battling the fire that started just after midnight on Oakwood Cove Lane, the Orange County Fire Rescue said.
As many as 50 firefighters had to be called in to battle the house fire.
Before the flames spread, the residents made it out safely. The cat, which was originally missing, was later found dead.
Orange County Fire Rescue said in a tweet that the roof of the house collapsed and "multiple explosions (were) reported from propane tanks, possibly fireworks."
Fire offiicals said propane tanks and fireworks in the garage were set off by the flames.
"We did call it a defensive mode, meaning we weren't going to go interior, because the homeowner stated that everyone was out of the structure," Battalion Chief Billy Richardson said.
Richardson said the fire spread rapidly and went through the roof, causing the ceiling to collapse.
"Everything in the house is combustible at some point. So we didn't send anybody in until we had a good knockdown on it," Richardson said.
Officials have not determined the cause of the fire that engulfed the 2,600-square-foot home.
Adding to the challenges firefighters faced was that there aren't any fire hydrants near the house, so two water tankers were brought in, each holding about 3,500 gallons of water.