The garage of an Indialantic house was ravaged by flames last week, leaving the family who lived there in search of a new place to call home.
Indialantic Fire Chief Tom Flamm said firefighters from his department, later joined by firefighters from Melbourne and Melbourne Beach, were on the scene two minutes after receiving the alert call — and within three minutes had doused the fire.
“We contained it in the garage,” Flamm said. “A few more minutes and it would have been in the house.”
Just prior to their arrival, and just down the road, Cynthia Dunn suddenly got a strong whiff of smoke. The smell intensified as she stepped outside. Several other neighbors were already walking down the block in search of the source.
“I saw a big black puff of smoke in the sky and got on my bike to see where it was coming from,” Dunn said.
By the time Dunn came upon the scene, sirens were blaring down the road and within moments firefighters had drenched the flames.
Homeowners Thomas and Daniele (Danny) Schneider and their two children, ages 12 and 13, were not home at the time of the fire – but one family member was, Cline, the family’s 16-year-old dog.
When firefighters broke down the door, Cline emerged and slowly walked outside, a bit shaken. To make matters worse, she was immediately roughed up a bit by three leashed dogs passing by at the same moment, resulting in a few minor lacerations to her face.
Indialantic firefighter William LaDrew immediately dispensed aid and oxygen to Cline, with a specialized unit made just for animals. “A lot of times, pets are the only ones home, so we are always prepared for that,” LaDrew said. “I’m just glad she’s OK.”
Chief Flamm said the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
