Essa Firefighters are at the scene of a house fire at 8 Berkar St. in Angus.
Flames broke out just after 3 a.m. but luckily the five or six residents - the homeowners, their children and their grandchildren -all escaped.
"I believe it started in the garage and it spread quickly, newer construction," said Essa Fire Chief Cynthia Ross Tustin. "The family got out quickly. They called from across the street."
When firefighters arrived the house was almost completely engulfed in flames.
"It's completely gone. And then the flames spread to the garage to the immediate neighbour at 6 Berkar. That garage is totally gone but the house if perfectly fine," said Ross Tustin.
The Fire Chief doesn't know if the home had working smoke alarms because the family had escaped before the fire spread into the house.
It was homeowner's 18-year-old grandson that alerted his family to the blaze.
"The grandson could smell smoke. Both of these garages are self-contained with no doors to the houses. When the grandson heard the popping and smelled the smoke he thought it was outdoors. There was no smoke in the house," explained the Fire Chief.
"That could be our first hero of the year award," she added.
It was a two-station response by the Essa Fire Department.
No one was injured, including firefighters who also had to work around car fires at both homes.
"There was also four cars burning - two cars in the driveway at 8 Berkar and two vehicles in the garage at 6 Berkar. They'd already ruptured so there was gasoline running down the driveway. Lots to contend with but they did an outstanding job," said Ross Tustin.
The cause of the blaze is not yet known.
Ross Tustin wants area residents to know the Essa Fire Department will be going door to door this evening to do a smoke alarm check on the street.
