Four people and a dog were asleep inside their home on Friendswood Drive Thursday morning when it erupted into flames.
A neighbor noticed the fire and called 911 just before 11 a.m.
"The whole rear of the house was on fire," said Arlington Battalion Chief Mike Shoemaker.
When Arlington and Pantego fire crews arrived on scene, they noticed multiple cars in the driveway.
That sent up a red flag and firefighters immediately went into the house to look for the homeowners.
"We did a quick search and found them all in bed," said Shoemaker. "We woke them up and brought them out."
Shoemaker said the smoke detectors inside the house were not working at the time.
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Once the homeowners and their dog were out, firefighters extinguished the fire.
"Preliminary estimates – probably about $25,000 worth of damage," said Shoemaker.
Shoemaker said things could have ended much worse. It didn't take long for the fire to spread to the attic, which he calls "one of the most challenging fires we encounter."
"Attic fires are like your outside campfires," said Shoemaker. "It's all unprotected wood that's ready to go."
That's why he said it's so critical to check your smoke detectors regularly and to replace the batteries twice a year.
"The technology is there," said Shoemaker. "There's no reason for anybody not to get out from a home structure fire."
The homeowners declined to speak on camera to NBC 5, but said they were doing "alright, considering what happened" and they wanted to thank the firefighters for getting them out.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Officials believe it started near the back porch of the home.
