CHARLOTTE — Twelve people, including six children and four pets, were rescued from a home after a fire broke out in a dryer, Charlotte firefighters said.
The fire started at about 9:30 Friday morning in a house on Southwind Drive off of Sunset Road in north Charlotte.
Firefighters were immediately on the scene.
Twenty-seven firefighters rescued six children and MEDIC evaluated one of the children on scene. Paramedics also treated a firefighter at the scene, who returned to work afterward. Neither were taken to the hospital.
“In seconds, they were up and down getting kids out,” neighbor Roseann Forbes said. “They were getting kids out and safe.”
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Forbes said she saw several children in the window screaming for help.
Channel 9 could also see crews helping two children down the stairs of the home and one child rescued through a window.
Crews were able to get the fire under control in less than 10 minutes. They rescued three adults, two dogs, a turtle and a fish. Firefighters said nine children total are displaced -- six of whom were rescued from the house. The Red Cross is helping the displaced family.
Forbes said fire crews get all the credit.
“I was amazed by their dedication, their support and their care of the kids today and what they did for this neighborhood,” she said.
Smoke alarms alerted the people inside the home and an 18-year-old called 9-1-1, firefighters said.
CFD Capt. Jackie Gilmore said it could have been a lot worse.
However, the family had a life-saving fire plan to call 911 and get as many people out as quickly as they could.
“The plan worked,” Gilmore said. “These kids knew what to do and everyone survived.”
Firefighters said the fire began accidentally and started in a dryer. They estimate the damage to the home to be about $40,000.
This is a developing story. Check back with wsoctv.com for the latest.
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