FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — A family is safe after escaping an early morning house fire in Fond du Lac.
Just after 1:30 a.m., a family living on North Military Road was shocked awake by the sound of their fire alarms.
Patriarch Jeff said he awoke to bright orange flames climbing his walls at a rapid pace.
Firefighters were called to 213 N. Military Rd. in Fond du Lac Monday morning at 1:42 a.m.
Crews say there were heavy fire conditions from the breezeway of the single-family home.
“It started in the breezeway and between the garage and the main body of the house, which was two stories, and it was burning up the side of the house," said Battalion Chief Jim Wamser. "And the entire side of the house was on fire when the first crews arrived.”
The fire quickly spread up the side of the home and made its way into the second floor and to the attic.
“The entire side of the house was on fire, a bright orange glow. He ran upstairs, woke his wife up, woke the kids up, and they were able to exit the building safely. Pretty much just in time,” Wamser said.
Crews quickly started dousing the flames, but it also caused a lot of damage.
Jeff, Steph, and sons Chevy and Remington were able to get out safely, thanks to working smoke detectors.
The house is the only home the young boys have known. The family has owned it for ten years.
One of their dogs was rescued from the home and received medical treatment at the scene, but another dog died in the boys' room. The family also lost their pet birds to the fire.
Because the incident happened on a holiday, the family had to wait to find out what insurance will cover. Insurance company employees were not working at the time of the tragedy.
The family booked a stay at a hotel thanks to assistance from extended family.
We're working to learn how the fire started.
