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Fire Rips Through Roof Of Sunrise Home

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SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – Fire investigators are looking into what sparked a house fire in Sunrise Monday morning.

Two dogs were killed in the fire, and a woman was badly burned.

It's still unknown how the blaze started but it's pretty clear that the house is going to be a total loss.

Much of the roof is gone.

Firefighter and neighbors did their best to save two dogs inside but it was too late.

"I was just getting up and Taryn the owner came knocking on my door, hysterical," said neighbor Vinnie Aversano. "Told me her house was on fire.  I had to run in to get my phone."

Aversano dialed 911 as flames shot out of the roof of the Sunrise home.

Firefighters responded quickly and tried to knock the fire down.

Neighbor Shay Joseph captured the firefight on her cell phone.

"I came outside my house because I smelled smoke and I seen this smoke, fire everywhere," Joseph said.

The homeowner was frantic, as her two dogs were trapped inside.

"Me and another fellow, we tried get in there," Aversano said. "It was just, as soon as the door opened up there was black smoke like you wouldn't believe and the heat just hit you.  We stood there trying to get them to come out but they were probably gone already."

Firefighters made an attempt as well but it became too dangerous.

"We went to a defense mode for the safety of our crews, knowing that all the residents made it out," said Chief Jim Dixson with the Sunrise Fire Department.

The homeowner Brian Fitzgerald is a painter and paint cans line the garage.

"She's on oxygen," Aversano said. "I'm sure that didn't help."

Firefighters doused the area with water, finally containing the blaze.

By the time it was out there wasn't much left to salvage.

"As you can see it was quite a bit of damage," said Chief Dixson. "The fire consumed the entire house."

Neighbors feel for the family, which now is seemingly without a home.

"It's a very sad situation," Joseph said. "I'm glad nobody got hurt, really.  Because she made it out before it got crazy."

Sunrise Fire says the woman that was home at the time of the fire suffered some minor burns but should be OK.

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