FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – A family is safe but in need of a new place to stay after a fire that sparked from a gaming chair at their Fort Lauderdale home claimed the life of two of their pets.<\/p>\n
The four teens, a brother and three sisters, who live with their mom at the home located on Northwest Third Court were setting up a gaming chair with some friends on Friday morning when, they said, the chair got really hot, started to smoke and then set the room on fire.<\/p>\n
When the fire broke out, the teens tried to get their pets out and called 911.<\/p>\n
Video shows smoke billowing from the back of the home as fire rescue sirens are heard at a distance. <\/p>\n
Venesha Christie, a family friend, said the mother was at work when the flames broke out. <\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the friends was sitting on the chair and he said he felt heat. He looked and then he jumped up and the chair was on fire,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
The teens said the fire spread quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the time we realized, we just didn\u2019t have time to react,\u201d said resident Trayvon Young. <\/p>\n
\u201cOnce we got out of the house, the house started getting smoky,\u201d said resident Jahrhianna Young. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe tried to open the window, but the fire had gotten by the window and it burned my hand before I could really open it,\u201d said family friend Braylin Nelson. <\/p>\n
One of the teens said Trayvon was concerned about his pets, prompting a race to rescue by his friend and siblings. <\/p>\n
\u201cTrayvon, he was crying, he just said, \u2018My cat, my cat,\u2019 so I just went in there and got his cat,\u201d said family friend Montraze Price. <\/p>\n
Six, a six-toed cat was saved as were two other animals. Video provided by Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue show crews successfully resuscitating one of the family\u2019s pets, a land tortoise named Franklin after scooping him out of his tank. <\/p>\n
Sadly, the family said one of their three cats, named Cheesecake, did not survive despite rescue crews\u2019 best efforts. Additionally, a bearded dragon did not survive the flames. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to resuscitate every animal that we can. It\u2019s sad for the crews, too because we want to make things better,\u201d said FLFR Assistant Chief Timothy Heiser. <\/p>\n
Everyone else inside the home was able to make it out OK.<\/p>\n
FLFR officials said the teens all did the right thing by getting out quickly and calling 911.<\/p>\n
The teens said they initially thought about attempting to put the fire out themselves, but they knew that\u2019s not what they should do and got out of the home.<\/p>\n
The family is now trying to figure out what to do next, especially since they were only able to save some items from inside, but the interior of the home was heavily damaged.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has four kids and she provides for them. She\u2019s holding it together. We\u2019re going to help her, she\u2019s going to need help,\u201d said Christie. <\/p>\n
Still, everyone is thankful that the teens and most of their pets are OK.<\/p>\n
The American Red Cross responded to the home and is helping the displaced family. <\/p>\n
Investigators are now probing the cause of the fire. <\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/p>\n
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