ATLANTA — An Atlanta man and his family woke up to their house on fire early Friday morning.

The fire started at a home off W Conway Drive around 6 a.m. in Buckhead. Gonzalo De Aristegui said he heard the alarm and thought it was a glitch.

When he went to check out the rest of his home, he saw smoke in his kitchen and his basement on fire.

“As soon as I went down the basement steps, I saw some open flame on the ceiling near a door that cuts to the patio. Just ran, hit the panic button on the alarm button and called the kids. I ran for the phone, called the fire station and that was it,” De Aristegui said.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 15

Mansion fire off W Conway Drive in northwest Atlanta Five people made it out of a Buckhead home safely after a fire broke out Friday morning.

After he called 911, the homeowner made sure to get his family out of the house safely. Then he drove around the corner to the nearest fire station to direct them. De Aristegui explained he wanted to ensure authorities could find his home in the dark: “With the long driveway, I don’t want them guessing.”

De Aristegui said he is grateful for the quick response, and is still processing everything that happened: “Adrenaline is still running. You know [my] heart was pumping out [my] chest when I saw the fire. After you see the fire, you’re just running at 100 mph.”

©2024 Cox Media Group