Family of four escape house fire in Cape Coral

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—A family of four and their dog escaped a house fire early Tuesday morning after working smoke alarms alerted them to danger.

Cape Coral firefighters responded to a residential structure fire in the 2200 block of SE 15th St. at approximately 4:15 a.m. Crews arrived to find flames coming through the roof of the home.

Two adults and two children were safely evacuated before firefighters arrived. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and prevented it from spreading beyond the area around the garage.

The home is considered a total loss due to the extent of the damage. Preliminary findings indicate the fire likely started in a shed outside the home before spreading into the attic.

The exact cause remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office. Officials said the outcome could have been far worse without working smoke alarms.