Residents of a house that burned early Thursday in the 7000 block of Blazing Trail Drive said they were grateful no one was hurt and for the generosity displayed by neighbors, firefighters and charity groups.

“We had people that we’ve never met bring us food, bring us clothes,” said homeowner Chris Greene, who’s lived in the home with his family for three years.

Greene said his wife’s parents, William and Krisandra Dunn, were in the house when they discovered the fire about 3 a.m. The rest of the family was away for the holiday.

“A smoke detector woke them up, so there’s your plug for safety,” said Colorado Springs Fire Department Lt. James Eddy.

Neighbors gave shoes to the couple and let them into their homes, William Dunn said. Red Cross volunteers arrived within a couple of hours, and the Air Force Aid Society was on hand to help. Peterson Air Force Base, where Greene is an airman, arranged for temporary housing for the family including the Dunns, Chris and Tricia Greene, and their three children.

Greene said a fire investigator told him the house is probably a total loss. The blaze destroyed the roof and much of the back side of the structure.

The cause remains under investigation, Eddy said. The fire department was called at 3:10 a.m. to the home in the Springs Ranch area and responded with six vehicles, including two engines.

Some neighbors took note it was the second house fire on Blazing Trail Drive in about a month. A house across the street burned in November, said Marianne Salus, who lives next door. Repairs are apparently well under way on that house, as new material was on the roof Thursday night and a restoration company’s sign was planted in the front yard.

“It’s a little scary. You almost think of it as a warning,” Salus said.

After the November fire, Salus said her family double-checked for safety in her house including tests of smoke detectors and a talk about an evacuation plan.

contact the writer: 636-0187 or perry.swanson@gazettedev.gazette.com