Early this morning, a North Miami family faced a dire emergency as their home was suddenly swallowed by flames. In a courageous effort to quickly save his family, Jose Patalano ushered his wife and two children, ages 9 and 12, to safety, as reported by CBS News Miami. His actions occurred after smoke was detected in their residence located in the 14100 block of NE 15 Avenue. Amidst the chaos, Patalano desperately attempted to douse the flames with a garden hose before the fire completely overtook their home.
According to Patalano's account in an interview obtained by 7News, his daughters were the ones to wake him up after noticing the fire. Despite the smoke filling the house, he managed to successfully rescue one of his two dogs that was initially unaccounted for. “I was afraid because one of my dogs were missing. He was in the room and I couldn’t get in because it was so much smoke[gesticulating how he used his shirt to cover his mouth]. I broke the back door. I don’t know how he got out. We’re all safe. Thank God,” he related to 7News.
The fire incident rapidly escalated as fire crews arrived at the scene to find the home fully engulfed. Fortunately, as firefighters confirmed, there were no physical injuries reported among the family members or their pets. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Patalano, reflecting on the harrowing experience, shared with CBS News Miami, "I got the hose, the fire was still going on, the roof caught fire in the back. I was afraid, one of my dogs was missing and I could not get in because there was so much smoke." He bravely went around to the back in an attempt to quickly rescue the trapped dog. Despite the loss of their home, he emphasized his gratitude that his family and dogs are safe.
