POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Four people and their dogs escaped without injury early Tuesday morning after a parked car caught fire directly in front of a home in Auburndale, spreading flames toward the residence.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Officer Hitchens of the Auburndale Police Department first spotted the blaze and radioed in a report around 12:54 a.m. on July 21, 2026.
The incident occurred in the Berkley Point neighborhood, where a vehicle parked along the property was fully engulfed in flames upon law enforcement’s arrival.
Multiple Polk County Sheriff’s deputies who were nearby responded to the scene immediately. Observing that the fire was rapidly moving closer to the house, deputies forced entry through the front of the home to wake up the sleeping occupants inside.
To avoid the flames at the front of the building, deputies guided the four residents and their dogs out through the back door. No injuries were reported among the occupants or emergency responders.
Crews from the Auburndale Fire Department arrived shortly after to extinguish the fire. No direct quotes were provided in the initial release from officials.
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