A family has their neighbors to thank after a fire broke out at a home in Miami-Dade over the weekend.
Stacey Ellis was celebrating the new year with his wife and son at his mother-in-law's home on Southwest 128th Place in Kendale Lakes on Sunday night.
The family went to bed, but not for long.
"I was kind of in and out of sleep," said Ellis, who had been watching TV. Then he heard a knock on the door. "I knew it wasn't a normal knock."
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
Outside, neighbors Jacek Bogdanienko and his wife were returning to the Royale Green neighborhood from a New Year's party and spotted flames on the family's roof.
"The smoke was more and more intensive," said Bogdanienko. He called 9-1-1 while his wife banged on the door.
On the other side, Ellis said he ran to open that door.
Local
"They showed us where the house was on fire, on the north end of the house," he said. "They saved our lives.
Ellis’s mother-in-law, Linda Quinto, and the family are now staying at a condo her daughter rented while visiting for the holidays. She praised her neighbors for coming to the rescue, too. "They gave us blankets."
"They brought us blankets," Linda Quinto said.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.
