ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A St. Augustine couple is now without a home just weeks ahead of Christmas.
Their house on Cerro Street erupted in flames just after 1:00 a.m. Wednesday. The house is on the north side of Eddie Vickers Park.
The Fire Chief Carlos Aviles says they'll most likely monitor the house all day to watch for any hot spots. They are still working to figure out what caused the fire.
The couple got out safe and are staying with family in the area. Aviles says they are getting help from Red Cross.
He says it took 20 minutes to get the fire under control then about two hours to extinguish it. Firefighters say they were able to get belongings out of the less burnt part of the house.
One woman who stopped by to take a look at the house was very emotional. She said she was friends with the couple and grew up in the neighborhood. It was hard for her to see the damage because she said she knows how much work the couple put into the home.