Fires

Family makes lucky escape as possible arson guts cars, home in Allapattah

It happened at NW 20th Avenue and NW 31st Street.

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A fire burned several cars and a home in Allapattah early Wednesday, in an incident police are investigating as arson.

It happened at around 2 a.m. in the area of NW 20th Avenue and NW 31st Street.

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Four cars at the front of a residence caught on fire and three of them were gutted, and the fire extended to the home of Mercedes Tellez.

She said she's lucky to be alive, as neighbors knocked on her door, telling her to get out.

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"[I heard] exploding, like bombs," Tellez told our sister station Telemundo 51 in Spanish. "The flames were right there... They had already shattered the room windows, but I got out."

Surveillance image of what appears to be a person with a red gas can
Surveillance image of what appears to be a person with a red gas can

An image captured on a surveillance camera shows two people with what appears to be a red gas can pouring something in front of the cars.

More information about potential suspects was not immediately available.

According to the fire department, the residents were displaced and had to move to a relative's home.

Firefighters said they had to pull out part of the roof to put the flames out.

The incident remains under investigation.

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