AUBURN-
A quiet Auburn neighborhood woke up to the screeching sounds of propane tanks exploding Monday morning.
The noise was the result of a fire that had broke out in the couples back patio and alerted them to get out.
“And then I pulled the blinds back and saw the whole thing there. The heat was bad,” Norm Swafford said. He says that sound likely saved the lives of he and his wife, Suzanne.
Firefighters say the fire started near the Swaffords’ back porch.
The heat was so strong that windows shattered and the fire quickly spread inside.
“It cracked mirrors clear back into the house that is how hot it got,” Norm said. “My wife was still sleeping. I woke her up and told her to run outside. I grabbed a couple of things and ran out with her it was so hot. It is unbelievable.”
The fire ripped through the family’s kitchen, living room and attic.
The Swaffords lost everything in their home except for two bedrooms.
Firefighters say the salvaged bedrooms were a prime example of why people should keep their doors shut while they sleep.