Local

Jacksonville couple, dog named Lucky escape Mandarin house fire

Two people and their dog Lucky escaped a Mandarin house before it was destroyed by fire Monday.

Sky Action News Jax flew above the home as firefighters hosed down the roof.

Mangled metal and charred wood is all that’s left of the back of the home on Blue Pacific Drive.

Ed Laing said he ran outside after hearing a loud explosion.

“The windows rattled in the house and I’m two doors down from there,” he said. “It was quite an explosion.”

Laing says he grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran outside, where he found thick, black smoke.

“The flames were probably 35, 40 feet up in the air,” he said.

Jacksonville firefighters worked for 30 minutes to put out the flames.

The fire chief said the home has extensive damage.

“Very devastating. It’s unbelievable,” Laing said.

The plastic siding on the house next door melted because of the heat.

Investigators with the state fire marshal’s office are working to determine what caused the fire.