Family displaced after townhouse fire

NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A South Florida family has been left devastated after their townhouse caught fire.

The De Avila family were planning on moving from their townhouse along Northwest 55th Avenue on Wednesday, when their home caught on fire.

Their 5-year-old Rottweiler name Beast is very lucky to be alive after he escaped the fire. "My dog was in the backyard," said Angela Douglas. "He honestly had no way out, and he was in between the storage house we have in the back and the fence."

The dog squeezed his way out of the tight area and made it out safe before the home was engulfed in flames. The fire sent thick smoke into the air, which was seen from the Palmetto Expressway.

The two adults and children were not home at the time of the fire but said they are happy their dog made it out safe. "I feel awful. I was in the process of moving. As long as the dog is OK all the other stuff can be replaced," said Johnny De Avila.

De Avila believes the fire was not an accident. "I have no idea what motive or why would anyone would do this, but I mean if the investigators are asking me if I'm torching my own stuff, I mean I don't even have renters insurance for torching my stuff," he said.

Douglas said she had everything planned to move out tomorrow. "We were planning to move tomorrow. I had the moving trucks scheduled. Everyone was scheduled to come tomorrow, and we didn't make it till tomorrow," she said.

Miami-Dade Fire is investigating the cause of the fire.

The Red Cross is helping the family.

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