‘Adrenaline is still running:’ Family escapes after basement fire spreads through Buckhead mansion

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

The fire started at a home off W Conway Drive around 6 a.m. in Buckhead. Gonzalo De Aristegui told Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach that he heard the alarm and thought it was a glitch.

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

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“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.

After he called 911, the homeowner made sure to get his family out of the house safely. Then he drove around the corner where the nearest fire station to direct them.

“Make sure they can find the place because at night with the long driveway, I don’t want them guessing,” he explained.

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De Aristegui said he never imagine he would seeing his home on fire and he is grateful for the quick response. He told Gehlbach he will take some time to process everything.

“Just have to disconnect your mind about what’s going to be the next step. Adrenaline is still running. You know the heart was pumping out the chest when saw the fire. After you see the fire, you’re just running at 100 mph.”

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