A fire destroyed a home in Orange Saturday night, completely gutting the structure, leaving a family homeless and taking the lives of three pets.

The Orange County fire chief says crews responded to the 911 call within four minutes of receiving it, but by the time they arrived, the fire had spread. Carla and Ken Apple, the homeowners, were able to escape the blaze along with their friend. The Apples? children were out of the house staying with a relative.

Firefighters were unable to save the family?s three cats, despite CPR efforts by members of the crew. The Apple family spent Sunday looking through the damage to save some of their possessions and memories.

The family has received help, clothing and food from neighbors. Fire officials say the cause of the fire is still under investigation, though they know it started in a first-floor bedroom.