Tyler, TX (KYTX) -- An overnight fire leaves two families without a place to live, and injures a firefighter.
Laura Montoya and her husband spent most of today salvaging what's left inside their home. She says the biggest losses, belonged to her baby daughter.
"She's 7 months old and I can't really use it if it has a lot of damage by smoke, especially because she's so young," Montoya said.
Montoya says the three of them woke up to the fire, coming from the other side of the duplex, just after 1:30 Wednesday morning. She said her dogs were barking.
"I saw a lot of orange and red under the door. By that time, we had gotten out and gotten our dogs out. Unfortunately, my bird stayed inside," Montoya said.
That parrot was the only loss of life, as the 6 next-door neighbors escaped as well.
Fire crews extinguished flames within 20 minutes of arrival, but in the process one firefighter suffered second-degree burns to his upper body.
"Fortunately, our protective equipment did its job, and injuries are minor," Paul Findley, Tyler Fire Marshal, said.
Findley says they aren't releasing the firefighter's name right now, but he's recovering at home. He adds while injuries don't happen on a regular basis, it's what you risk on the job.
The Montoyas are still figuring out their next steps, and only know they won't be living in a duplex, ever again.
