Family of 7 displaced by South Side house fire
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TFD
A family of seven was displaced Friday afternoon after a fire tore through their South Side home, authorities said. The family was not home at the time of the blaze.
At 1:49 p.m., a neighbor called 911 and reported seeing smoke coming from the home in the 3700 block of East Frankfort Stravenue, a Tucson Fire Department spokesman said in a news release.
The first fire crew arrived just before 2 p.m. and confirmed heavy smoke coming from the house, Captain Barret Baker said in the release.
Initially, the crew pulled a hose to the front door of the home, but could not make their way in because of poor visibility and the amount of fire inside, Baker said. They moved to back of the house and began to extinguish a large amount of fire there, while a ladder crew cut two holes in the roof to allow smoke to escape and improve visibility.
Once the majority of the fire was out, firefighters were able to confirm no one was inside.
Two small dogs, Daisy and Buddy, were found scared but unharmed, hiding behind a shed in the back yard, Baker said. Several chickens living in the yard were also fine.
It took eight units and 21 firefighters about 28 minutes to bring the blaze under control, said Baker.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, he said. No damage estimate has been made, but it is believed that the house will be a total loss.
A woman in her 50s, two adults in their 30s, and four kids ages 9, 11, 13, and 15 were displaced by the fire. They are being assisted by the Red Cross, Baker said.
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