9 Displaced After Fire Rips Through San Mateo Home

A San Mateo family of nine is lucky to be alive after a fire ripped through their home before dawn Tuesday morning. 

The fire started in an SUV and then spread through the garage and the attic, significantly damaging the three-bedroom home.
 
A couple with seven children, between the ages of 2 and 13, currently rent the home.
 
The call to 911 came in at 3:40 a.m. thanks to the father who was up early as usual getting ready for work. He was brushing his teeth when he heard the car alarm go off. He looked outside and saw the flames in his SUV and called 911.
 
“A great ending -- it could have been tragic,” San Mateo Deputy Fire Chief Mike Keefe said. “Fortunately he was up going to work and heard his car alarm and was able to get his folks out before it quickly spread to the house.”
 
At its height, eight engines responded to the blaze from six different agencies.
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