COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Almost a dozen people were able to escape a Northeast Side fire early Wednesday.
NBC 4's Matt Alvarez reported with the FAST FACTS Wednesday.
Columbus fire and arson investigators were called 5022 Easy Ct. around 4:40 a.m.
Ten people were able to escape the flames safely, officials said. A family dog also was pulled from the fire.
A 26-year-old man who lived in the home thanked God for survival.
"I woke up to a smell, and my dog was running around the house. That kinda let me know what happened, too. I had went upstairs, and I seen a lot of smoke and like a bright light. So I opened the front door and all of the fire stuff came in," Jajuan Hairston said.
Hairston quickly got the nine other people out of the house through the back door.
"The whole house just caught on fire. Like real quick. In less than a minute or so. Everything started shooting up."
Fire officials have ruled the home as a total loss.
Neighbor Mary Shea woke up to the morning emergency and helped some of the victims cope with their loss.
"I do feel bad for the family. Glad everyone got out OK," Shea said.
Columbus fire Battalion Chief Doug Smith said arson investigators ruled the fire accidental. The fire originated in the engine compartment of a car in the garage. Damage was estimated at $250,000.
Crews did hear the home's smoke detectors going off from the outside of the home. Smith said properly working smoke detectors played a huge role in saving lives.
The family's dog did, too.
Stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for the latest information in this developing story.
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