Fire Guts Lauderdale Lakes Home

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LAUDERDALE LAKES (CBSMiami) – Fire gutted a Lauderdale Lakes house Wednesday leaving a family of four homeless.

Flames could be seen shooting 30 to 40 feet high through the roof of the home at 3260 NW 39th street.

The fast moving fire swept thru the home at 8:30 in the morning while John Burgholzen, his wife and grown daughter were just waking up.

"I was sleeping in a back bedroom and smelled smoke and saw the haze," said Burgholzen. "I got up and it was all on fire I had a fire extinguisher and exhausted that.  After that we took off and made it out."

Most of the family s exotic animals made it out too thanks to Firefighters.

Besides snakes being rescued, gerbils and ferrets were saved along with a guinea pig and skink bearded dragon.

The family's dogs were saved but some cats perished.

"I heard the fire trucks pull up and saw my neighbor's home fully engulfed but I was pleased to see everybody made it out okay," said neighbor Mark Wing.

The family has no idea how the fire started. The fire marshal is investigating.

The house was gutted by the blaze.