By Chris Caraveo
Photo courtesy Peoria Fire-Medical Dept.
A Peoria family is without their home after a garage fire Sunday morning in Peoria, according to a release.
At about 9:15 a.m. March 12, the Peoria Fire-Medical and Sun City Fire departments responded to a reported garage fire near 85th Avenue and Cactus Road. Crews found heavy flames coming from the garage, with some extending several feet into the driveway.
According to Peoria Fire Public Information Officer Tim Eiden, crews extinguished the flames while they began a search and rescue operation for potentially trapped individuals. A mother and her three children escaped the home safely. Officials treated one person for smoke inhalation but did not transport them.
Crews kept the damage isolated to the garage and attic. However, those areas sustained heavy damage, along with heavy smoke in the interior of the house, according to the release.
The homeowner told officials one of her teenage children smelled smoke and went to check the garage. When he opened the door, the fire grew rapidly because of the added oxygen.
The family evacuated the home and dialed 911.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The fire appears accidental, Eiden stated in an email. Initial reports indicate the fire may have involved a candle on or near a boat inside the garage.
The homeowners will likely be displaced, Eiden stated in the release.
The Glendale Crisis Response Team was on scene to assist the family with their needs.
