LAKEVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) - Quick-thinking firefighters were able to save Christmas for one Lakeville family after their home went up in flames Sunday afternoon.
Crews responded to 5 Alden Road just before 4 p.m. after a neighbor who reported the fire found flames coming from the rear corner of the house.
They determined that a gas grill was involved in the blaze, causing the propane-fed fire to spread into the home, fire officials said.
Crews quickly doused the exterior flames before entering the house to battle the structure fire, which consisted of flames inside the walls and in the attic space.
The fight took more than two-and-a-half hours, according to fire officials.
Prior to the firefighters’ arrival, the neighbor coaxed the family dog outside to safety, while a lizard also survived the blaze.
Homeowners Sarah Wass-Cruz and Ryan Cruz, along with their two boys, ages seven and nine, were not home at the time.
Firefighters were able to remove the Christmas tree and all the gifts from the home before they could be damaged by the flames, smoke or water.
One firefighter who helped rescue the presents and tree from the home said it was just the right thing to do.
“It was just a spur of the moment thing,” he said. “When more people showed up and we had the manpower, while people were checking for hotspots in the house, we had more people, and so the Christmas tree is right on the other side let’s get that out and get the presents out.”
Lakeville Fire Chief Mike O’Brien said he “couldn’t be prouder” of his crew’s response.
“To be in a house fire and have the presences of mind to stop and realize the importance of some gifts and stuff like that it’s not out of the ordinary for firefighters — they care about what they do and they care about the people they’re serving,” he said.
There were no reported injuries.
Photos from the @LakevilleMAFD of the #Christmas tree saved from a fire Sunday afternoon. All gifts also saved. An alert neighbor first saw the fire, got family dog out. @7News pic.twitter.com/8HtAdlbJyg
— John Cuoco (@JCuocoNews) December 24, 2018
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