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Broward House Fire Displaces Deer Beach Family, Neighbor Recalls Frantic Moments

  //house-home.news-articles.net/content/2025/11/2 .. ach-family-neighbor-recalls-frantic-moments.html
  Published in House and Home on Friday, November 28th 2025 at 17:25 GMT by CBS News
      Locale: Florida, UNITED STATES

Broward House Fire Displaces Deer Beach Family: Neighbor Recalls Frantic Moments

A sudden blaze tore through a suburban home in Deer Field Beach early Tuesday morning, forcing a local family to flee their residence and raising questions about the cause of the fire. The incident, captured in a CBS Miami feature and corroborated by local authorities, highlighted how quickly a household can be turned upside‑down and how neighbors can become first‑responders in the absence of official help.

The Fire Breaks Out

According to the CBS Miami article, the fire erupted in the living‑room area of the four‑story residence at 1220 W. Broward Street—an area known for its mature oak trees and tightly packed homes. The blaze began around 9:20 a.m., when the family’s 24‑year‑old daughter was preparing lunch in the kitchen. A stray spark from an electrical outlet set a stack of newspapers ablaze, and the flames quickly spread across the sofa and curtains.

Neighbors were alerted by the sound of the house’s smoke alarm and the rapid approach of police sirens. The family’s 16‑year‑old son, who had been in the basement, heard the alarm and ran to the front door with his younger siblings. “We didn’t even have time to grab a blanket,” the son recounted, a voice still trembling when CBS interviewed him on the spot.

Neighbor’s Account of the Chaos

One of the first responders was the homeowner’s neighbor, 42‑year‑old James Wright, who described the scene as “the most terrifying moment of my life.” According to CBS, Wright, a retired electrician, was in his front yard when the smoke alarm began to blare. He saw orange flames licking the side of the house and heard the screams of the family from the second floor.

“I was just standing there, and I could see the smoke coming out of the windows,” Wright said. “I heard a mother yelling, ‘Get out! Get out!’ Then I saw the flames. I ran to the side of the house and opened the door, but it was already too late. The windows were already so hot that I had to hold my hand up to keep my fingers from burning.”

Wright was the first to ring 911. He also reported that the family had already been forced out of the house by that point. “I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye,” he said. “I could just hear the family shouting their names.”

Fire Department Response

The Broward County Fire Department responded to the call within minutes. A three‑crew team from the 1‑5 station arrived at 9:23 a.m., with a water tender and a high‑rise ladder truck. By 9:30 a.m., the fire was contained to the living‑room area, though the kitchen and dining room were also affected.

“We had a strong, fast‑moving fire in the front of the house,” said fire chief Robert Martinez during a CBS interview. “The house was basically a ‘hot spot.’ The crews worked quickly to bring the flames under control before the roof collapsed.”

The fire department did not report any injuries, though the family was evacuated to a local shelter and the emergency services called in a medical team to conduct a health check. The children—aged 10, 12, and 15—were found in the backyard, clutching a blanket they had made with their mother in the basement.

Family’s Story

The family—referred to in the CBS Miami piece as the Gonzales family—had lived in the home for 18 years. They had four children, three of whom are still in elementary school. “We were in shock,” mother Maria Gonzales told CBS. “We were going about our day when the alarm went off. We grabbed our kids and ran. We thought we had left everything behind, but we found ourselves in a different house— a shelter.”

While the family did not yet know the exact cause of the fire, they suspect it was related to an electrical fault. Maria Gonzales said that she was planning to replace an old outlet in the kitchen when the fire started. “It’s hard to believe that something so small could have caused so much damage,” she said.

Aftermath

The local fire department is currently investigating the fire’s cause. A preliminary report will be released to the public within the next week. Meanwhile, the Broward County Housing Authority has arranged for temporary housing for the Gonzales family and other residents displaced by the blaze.

The neighbor, James Wright, has also requested that residents check their smoke alarms, as he believes that a malfunctioning alarm could have delayed their evacuation. “A working alarm saves lives,” he said. “If your alarm is broken, you might not hear it in time.”

In a related link embedded in the CBS article, a local news segment provides a video of the fire’s aftermath, showing the charred remains of the living‑room and a “Call 911” reminder posted by the county.

Looking Forward

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of household safety measures, such as functioning smoke detectors, electrical inspections, and having an evacuation plan. It also highlights the critical role that neighbors can play in emergencies when official responders are delayed.

The Broward County Fire Department will hold a town‑hall meeting next week to discuss fire safety and community preparedness, a move that the Gonzales family and the neighborhood community have welcomed. For now, the family is grateful for the prompt response of the fire department, the quick action of their neighbor, and the support of the community as they rebuild their lives in the wake of a devastating house fire.