A fire that gutted a home near Palm Springs displaced nine people, including seven children, overnight near Palm Springs.
The affected family says they called 911 around 12:40 a.m. Monday after their home caught fire in the 2600 block of Exuma Rd.
The fire started while most of the residents were sleeping.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said heavy, black smoke was coming from the front of the home when they arrived at the scene.
Firefighters were able to bring under the blaze under control quickly.
Elida Vindel says she woke her husband up after smelling smoke, shortly afterward she says the closet in their master bedroom burst into flames.
The family reports no injuries, but says their poodle didn’t survive.
Inside the home were children as young as one month old. Elvis Vindel said he had to run inside to rescue his 3-year-old after he noticed he was the only one missing.
The Vindel family is the head of a church in West Palm Beach called Ministerio de Restoration y Alabanza a la Nueva Jerusalem located on Forest Hill Boulevard.
Vindel made a plea to fellow pastors to help them during this time of need; he also made notice that he and his family own many bibles, none of them were damaged during the fire.
Fire Rescue Capt. Albert Borroto said investigators were called to the scene to investigate the cause.
The Red Cross is assisting the family.
