Man hospitalized after fire destroys house

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- A Pompano Beach home is a total loss, and two people who got trapped inside are lucky to be alive.

Monday, the homeowner, who has Alzheimer's, according to neighbors, remains in the hospital after flames engulfed his two-story home at 2701 SE 7 Drive in Pompano Beach, just after 4 a.m., Sunday.

Neighbors said they woke up to the sounds of the fire. "I woke up to some popping noise," said Charmaine Composky. "It just started in the back, and I called 911."

Composky said she could only watch as the fire spread and waited for fire rescue crews to arrive. "At that point, the fire was only in the back," she said. "It was probably from the grill or something, but it just started in the back."

The house was a total loss, according to fire rescue. Fire fighters were seen rescuing residents from the home from their second floor balcony and brought down by ladder. "They were like not alert," said Composky. "The firefighters got here and brought them down with the ladder, and you know that's what we were most concerned about, my neighbors."

The blaze was so intense, neighbors were scared their own homes would catch fire. "I could see the embers just falling," said Composky. "So I was frightened. I was like, 'Oh, my God, my house is gonna catch on fire,' because the upper part of my house is all wood."

Joe Diamond, another neighbor, said, "It's amazing that the house on the side weren't affected and only some slight water damage to the houses behind, but it really could have been terrible."

Part of the roof eventually collapsed and left neighbors who have lived in the area for almost 20 years shocked. "The fire just seemed to grow pretty quickly," said Composky, "from the back to the front of the house."

The two men who were in the house, at the time of the fire, were taken to Broward Health North and treated for smoke inhalation.

Fire investigators said the house now has to be torn down, as it is a total loss.

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