Angela Gonzalez thought the knocking on her door at 6:45 Friday morning was her sister dropping off her nephew. But then she heard a woman pounding on the door yelling for them to get out because the house was on fire.
The flames engulfed a detached garage and spread to the back of the house near 60th and Elm. Gonzalez woke up her five family members She says a malfunctioning lock prevented them from getting out the front door. She turned her attention to a side window. She punched out the screen and they all managed to escape the through that window. "I'm just grateful we were able to get out before the fire spread into the house," Gonzalez says.
She says her brother lives in the basement and it would have been much more difficult for him to escape had he not gotten out when he did. As she assessed the damage, Gonzalez saw that the flames had spread to her 2017 Chevy Cruze.
"I got it as an early graduation gift and I only had it for a month," Gonzalez says. She says it was a gift from her dad who wanted to give her something new before heading off to college. "The whole front part of her is gone."
Gonzalez says the possessions can be replaced and she is extremely thankful for the woman who made sure that she and her family were able to escape without injury. "I'm just glad that the lady didn't stop until we came out."
Investigators say the careless disposal of smoking material sparked the fire. Damage is estimated at $55,000 No one was injured.