Crews contain kitchen fire at Lauderhill home; father and child escape safely - WSVN 7News

LAUDERHILL, FLA. (WSVN) - Fire crews were able to contain fierce flames that erupted in the kitchen of a Lauderhill home.

Lauderhill Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the blaze along the 5600 block of Northwest 21st Street, Thursday afternoon.

Officials said the living room of the house sustained a little bit of damage.

Fire officials said, when it gets very hot very fast inside, it makes it harder for them to fight the flames, so they had to break the impact windows to battle the flames.

According to fire rescue, a father and his daughter were inside the house when the fire ignited. The father smelled smoke and decided to evacuate the home along with his child and dog.

"It smelled like a burning smell, first coming from the second floor, and then he looked, and he saw smoke and the flames coming from the kitchen," said Lauderhill Fire Department Assistant Chief Jerry Gonzalez.

Two cats were later found by fire officials after being initially unaccounted for. They are both safe.

Neighbors witnessed the evacuation of the home and saw the man panicking.

"The guy was terrified. He was holding a kid in his hand, in his arms, and everything. The dog, it's crazy," said Giovanna Melo.

No injuries were reported.

No other homes were severely affected.

Fire officials said it remains unclear what started the kitchen fire.