A Thursday morning house fire in Florida City sent one person to the hospital and left a family's two puppies dead, the homeowner said.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the fire broke out just after 7:30 a.m. at a home in the 800 block of Northwest 12th Street.
Justin Roberson said he and his family, including his pregnant wife and six kids, were able to get out in time but two of their puppies died in the fire.
“For us to lose everything that we work hard for. Everything that we work hard for," he said.
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One of Roberson's children noticed small flames in his mother-in-law's bedroom, so Roberson went to grab some water to put them out. When he returned, it had erupted into a full-on fire with thick smoke.
“All of a sudden the fire started in my mother-in-law’s room. Normally her oxygen machine when you unplug it goes 'beep beep beep.' So I heard it through the living room and then two of my kids were in there sleeping with their grandmother and one of them came out and said 'daddy, something is on fire,'" he said. "I ran in and it was small. I ran to grab a bucket and tried to fill it up at least halfway but by the time I got back, it was out of control. Words can’t explain."
Patricia Frey, Roberson's wife, said she was frantically able to get her mother and six kids — between the ages of one and 14 years old — evacuated in time.
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“At first my one-year-old and three-year-old got stuck in the house, and I don’t know who grabbed my one-year-old, but I want to say thank you to whoever went in there while we were trying to bust the windows," Frey said.
Crews were able to put out the blaze and transported Robertson's mother-in-law, who has COPD and is on oxygen, to the hospital for smoke inhalation. The family said she's recovering.
“By the grace of God, my mama and my kids are OK, and that’s all that matters right now," Frey said.
Firefighters found several animals in the home. The couple said two of their beloved dogs — Lexi and Diamond — did not make it, but several bulldog mix puppies survived. They were outside being fed and cared for as Miami-Dade Animal Services was called out for assistance.
The Red Cross is helping the family, but they say they don’t know what to do moving forward.
“Just pray. Just pray for me and my wife. That’s it," Roberson said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
