House Fire Displaces Family Of 7 In Florida's Marion County, 1 Of 3 Dogs Killed In Tragedy

A family of seven people in Florida's Marion County has been displaced after a massive fire ripped through their home Sunday afternoon.

Marion County Fire Rescue Units responded to the home situated at the 6000 block of SE 140^th Street in Summerfield at 4:37 pm after receiving several 911 calls reporting that the home was ablaze. The owner and other residents were not at home when the fire started but three dogs were inside, ClickOrlando reported.

MCFR shared details about the incident in a Facebook post. Battalion Chief 3 arrived on the scene at 4:31 pm and reported a working fire. Fire suppression units from MCFR Belleview Station #18, Spruce Creek Station #30, Shady Station 16 and Villages Station 10 arrived on the scene shortly after. Battalion Chief 3 established command, and directed firefighters to make an aggressive attack with 3 hose lines in operation. Firefighters from Ladder 2 were sent in on a primary search, where they found 2 dogs and successfully removed them. Crews were able to battle the blaze and call the fire under control at 4:45 pm."

One dog died in the fire. The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation. A family of three adults and four children was displaced by this fire, and American Red Cross was called to assist with their temporary accommodation.

Public Information Officer James Lucas in a statement revealed that apart from losing everything in the house, the fire also claimed the baby shower gifts for an adult female who is 8 months pregnant.

"Fires are always devastating to families, but they are especially tragic during the holiday season. We hope that our community will rally around this family so they can salvage this holiday season," Lucas said.

In a similar incident, a shed fire claimed the life of a toddler, another child was in critical condition, and an adult was hospitalized following the incident in Launceston, a suburb in the south of Australia's mainland.

According to a report, the Center for Disease Control, the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association noted an average of 358,300 home-based fires. A survey among 1,500 citizens in 2020 found that 67.7% of respondents didn't know that cooking was the leading cause of house fires. 19.3% of respondents didn't have a fire evacuation plan for their homes. 31.2% of them were unaware that wildfire damage is not covered under the average homeowners' insurance policy.