SPRING HILL, Tenn. (WKRN) -- A family lost everything and two firefighters had to receive medical attention after a blaze broke out at a Spring Hill home Tuesday afternoon, fueled by gusty winds on one of the hottest days of the year so far.

According to the Spring Hill Fire Department, personnel were notified about a structure fire in the 2700 block of Iroquois Drive at approximately 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3.

Spring Hill Fire Chief Graig Temple said it took first responders seven minutes to arrive at the Cameron Farms subdivision and another few minutes to set up hoses and start spraying water on the flames.

Video shows the fire raging when crews arrived, with flames shooting through the second floor roof and out the windows. Temple can be seen pulling hoses to help his personnel.

"With the fire starting at the rear of the house, it breached the house, really gutted it, even prior to our arrival, Temple explained. "The biggest problem was the interior stairwell had burnt out, so we actually had to use ground ladders inside to get to the second floor."

Body camera footage shows the despondent homeowners standing on their front lawn, watching their world go up in smoke

The chief credited a 21-year-old neighbor who saw the smoke, banged on the door of the house, and got the couple outside with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.

"She went immediately to check on that family to make sure that they were aware that there was smoke was coming from the back of the house, which really saved their lives," Temple said.

According to Temple, one of the occupants was asleep and the other was in the front of the house, working in an office, when the young woman knocked on the door and told them to get out.

Because of the blustery conditions and the size of the home, crews from Maury County and Williamson County helped Spring Hill firefighters battle this blaze, as well as cover other districts in Spring Hill, officials said.

The chief said multiple areas were hidden with flames where the roof collapsed into the second floor, adding that clearing the home was also time-consuming.

One firefighter ended up glass inside their glove, which caused a laceration, but Temple said the minor injury was treated at the scene. Another first responder was sent to the hospital with heat exhaustion.

"Dehydration, especially here in Middle Tennessee, when it gets very hot and humid, it's very, very important for us to try to mitigate before the incident," Temple explained on Wednesday, June 4. "If it's a large structure fire like we saw yesterday, after they go through two cycles of work, they're definitely going to go sit out for five to 10 minutes; try to catch their breath; hydrate with some bottled water, some Gatorade, before they're going back in to do another assignment."

The chief said there are designated managers who watch for signs of heat problems, as well as make sure the crews rotate in and out, hydrate, and cool down properly.

Robert Dolan lives next door to the house that caught fire. His siding has melted, but his home is otherwise unscathed.

Dolan told News 2 his daughter was the woman who reportedly got the couple to safety: "She asked, 'Hey, did you know there's smoke in your backyard?'...They lost everything. I mean, they came out of the house without shoes on, so they even lost their shoes.

Dolan agreed with the fire department calling his daughter a hero, saying her actions were "pretty cool and amazing." However, he also credited the first responders and the other residents in the area who came to his neighbors' aid.

According to officials, the wind-driven fire quickly spread up the back of the home and into the attic and living spaces, causing "catastrophic damage" to the whole house and leaving it a complete loss. While the cause of the blaze is still under investigation, Temple said it appears to be accidental.

The American Red Cross is helping the family impacted by Tuesday afternoon's blaze. You can assist people affected by house fires and other disasters by following this link.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/woman-hailed-as-hero-for-alerting-couple-to-spring-hill-house-fire-which-caused-catastrophic-damage/