Family of 3 escapes burning home in Lithonia

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A family of three and their two dogs are safe after they escaped from their burning home early Monday morning.

The house on the 2100 block of Lown Farm Lane went up in flames around 5:30 a.m. on Monday.  

DeKalb County firefighters say when they arrived at the scene, they saw fire shooting out the building's back and roof. The heat was so intense that homes on both sides of the burning house suffered damage.

Tamia Harris tells FOX 5 she was sleeping when she heard a loud boom. Her mother then ran into her room and said the house was on fire. The three adults home at the time grabbed their two dogs and fled outside. She says almost as soon as they got out, they heard more explosions. Luckily, none of them suffered any injuries.

Firefighters say the home appears to be a total loss, but they did manage to salvage a photo of Harris' brother from when he served in the Marines.  It was a gesture that made her smile despite losing her home.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.