MESA -- Less than a week after moving into their new home, a Mesa family is lucky to be alive -- all thanks to a neighbor who spotted a fire and woke them up in time for them to escape.
It happened early Wednesday morning in the are of Val Vista and Broadway Road.
Firefighters believe the fire started in the fireplace. The family just moved into the house on Thanksgiving Day, but they said they've used the fireplace several times since then, including Tuesday night. They said they thought that fire had died down before they went to bed.
It was about 12:30 a.m. when Chris Harp, who was returning home from a KISS concert, spotted the flames shooting from the chimney. He jumped into action, pounding on the door to wake the family up and hustle them outside.
There were smoke detectors in the home, but they apparently did not go off.
While no injuries were reported, firefighters said the house is a total loss.
