A local family is safe on Thursday (Jan. 16) after escaping an overnight fire that destroyed their house.
"It was an electricity problem," Julio Aldana said. "It sounded like an explosion upstairs."
Aldana said he and and his four children were at their home at 822 N. 9th St. in Fort Smith when one of the children saw smoke in the home.
Aldana said that's when he got all the children and ran out of the house with them to a neighbor's home nearby.
"All the stuff electronics, we lost everything," Aldana said.
Aldana was injured in the fire, but was treated at the scene. No other injures were reported. Aldana is the pastor of a local church and said his family lost all their belongings in the fire. Aldana's wife was at work at the time of the fire.
The family said they plan to stick together and are making plans to stay at their church until they can find a new place to call home.