In a Sunrise neighborhood, fierce flames drove a family to flee their home in desperation, and emergency personnel had to arrive to save a woman who became trapped inside.
When Linda Chiotis, the homeowner, spoke on Sunday, she started crying. The residence was located close to North Pine Island Road and Northwest 26th Street, and she said that one of her cats did not escape.
“I had her for 23 years. I pulled the bird out of the house and saved her, but I couldn’t save everybody. I couldn’t save them all,” she stated.
Chiotis, who declined to be on camera, is now lamenting her cat’s passing and stating that their lives might have been saved by the cherished animal.
“The cat was pounding on that door to get in, and I let her in, but I don’t think we got her out, and she’s the one that woke us up,” she stated.
According to Chiotis, the family discovered their house was on fire at that point.
“Danny looked up, and he felt the heat, and he saw the fire, and he started screaming, ‘fire, fire,'” she stated.
“That’s when I flew across the house. I opened the door and let the cat in, and then I pulled the bird out,” she stated.
Along with two other residents, Chiotis managed to escape the fire, while one woman was left trapped in her bedroom. According to Sunrise Fire Chief John McNamara, personnel raced to her rescue.
“When they actually broke the window to the room and crawled in, [crews] pulled the victim out of the window,” he stated.
The fire completely destroyed the house.
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Chiotis claimed they were without insurance and were currently homeless. The four victims of the fire are receiving assistance from American Red Cross volunteers.
Chiotis stated that she is currently searching for her two cats, who vanished following the start of the fire. She is requesting that anyone who spots the cats wandering throughout the neighborhood contact Sunrise Fire Rescue or come forward.
