Bystanders Save Sleeping Family In House Fire In Fresno

A family sound asleep while their garage caught fire was rescued thanks to people driving by on Friday morning (November 13) in southeast Fresno.

According to Fresno Fire, the fire started around 10:00 a.m. at a house near Chestnut and Washington Ave.

Once the people driving by successfully awoke the family they began to fight the fire themselves. One bystander suffered from smoke inhalation while putting out the fire.

Fresno Fire Battalion Chief Tony Escobedo said the family was lucky that people happened to be driving by and stopped to alert them.

The fire began in a detached garage and could have quickly spread to their home, according to fire crews.

In the earlier hours of Friday morning, another Fresno County home caught fire.

The fire was detected at around 12:30 p.m. at a house on Floral and Chestnut Ave.

According to firefighters, the flames spread from the fireplace to the attic.

Luckily, the family of three were able to make it out of the house in time. The house did not have a working smoke detector and firefighters say the homeowner went on the roof to attempt putting out the blaze with a garden hose.

"Fortunately, they were up and noticed the odor of smoke from the outside," Fresno County Fire Battalion Chief Jeremiah Wittwer told ABC30.

The Red Cross is currently helping the family find temporary shelter.

Photo: Getty Images