Family Escapes Overnight House Fire Safely

SIOUX FALLS, SD - It's the beginning of Fire Prevention Week and an overnight fire is already giving us a lesson to be learned. Sioux Falls Fire Rescue crews were called to the 5303 East Lake Placid Drive around 2 a.m. Monday.

They say smoke and flames were coming from the windows on the main floor of the home and it got it knocked down with in five to ten minutes.

Investigators believe the daughter was reading a book in bed by candlelight, fell asleep, and the candle started a fire.

The family was able to get out of the home safely, which also made the battle safer for firefighters.

"We'll take a few more risks if we think someone is inside, you know. We go so much faster, where if we know they're out, not that we slow down too much, but we slow down a little bit, try to do stuff a little safer for our firefighters so they don't get injured," firefighter Jay Titus said.

Titus says the family had an emergency plan in case of a fire and this was an example of it working perfectly.

"They had a plan and have five children. And when they exited they structure, they had a meeting place across the street, their neighbor's, that's where they were. And they were able to account for everybody before we even arrived on scene," Titus said.

The home has moderate fire and heavy smoke damage.