Firefighters shoot jets of water at a home as they knock down the flames from a terrifying blaze.
"I never been through this," said Rynaldo Alcazar, who owns the house.
Alcazar, his wife, his sister and his nephew were home when the flames broke out at around 5:30 p.m. Thursday at a home in the 4700 block of Glenndavis Drive, which is near Nellis Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue.
"When I opened the back door, smoke all over," Alcazar said.
The family tried to put out the fire themselves at first but the flames were too much.
"In that moment nothing comes in your mind," Alcazar said.
Alcazar and his family had to run for their lives with only the clothes on the backs.
"I don't know if I want to cry, if I want to laugh" alcazar said.
The flames jumped to the house next door. The people who live there made it out okay along with two of their small dogs. Firefighters had to rescue two other pets. Emergency crews huddled around the dogs as they fought to keep the animals alive.
"Today, we just had to keep working until the just was done," said Leo Durkin, a battalion chief with the Clark County Fire Department.
Firefighters battle smoke, flames and heat inside the home. Extreme temperatures, soaring past 100, made an already tough job even harder. Neighbors crowded the streets, watching in disbelief.
Alcazar is glad he, his family and his neighbors are all safe.
"Oh! Yes!” He exclaimed. “There's no question about it. I'm still alive and my family is alive, so what else you can ask?"
Five adults and 6 kids lived in the two homes. They’re all okay. The American Red Cross was on scene help out the families.
The condition of the two dogs firefighters rescued is unclear.
