Home destroyed following early morning fire in Muskego

MUSKEGO -- Officials are investigating after a fire in Muskego destroyed a home early Sunday morning, January 20th.

Fire officials had to battle wind and freezing temperatures while fighting the blaze -- but say everyone was able to get out of the home okay.

Neighbors shared pictures of fire trucks lining the streets along Hidden Creek Court around 4:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Neighbors told FOX6 News flames were shooting 20-30 feet into the air!

Tess Corners Fire Chief Carl Wojnowkski was one of the first to arrive at the scene. He says the homeowner woke up to a glow and helped rescue his family.

"The garage was fully engulfed, when we first got here. (The homeowner) saw the trees on the north side of the house was glowing, so he thought the garage was on fire. He came down and opened up the garage door and saw that the garage was on fire, and came down and got everybody out of the house," Chief Wojnowkski said.

Three cars are now rubble, and Chief Wojnowkski says strong winds pushed the fire up into the attic. 

"Because of the wind and temperature outside some of our firefighters had a quarter-inch of ice on them," Chief Wojnowkski said.

Firefighters were able to save nearby structures and a family cat who was missing. 

While the house is a total loss, the family of four, two cats and two dogs all made it out safely. This family spent the day at a neighbor's house, and will move into a hotel Sunday night with the help of the American Red Cross.

The cause of this fire remains under investigation.