GUILDERLAND, N.Y. -- At least five people are recovering in area hospitals, after an early morning fire in Guilderland.
Officials say the fire happened around 3:30 a.m. Sunday on Ayre Drive. They say a neighbor saw the fire and called 911.
"The whole back corner of the house was totally engulfed, flames were shooting out the window and the door," nieghbor Tammy Ferraiolisaid.
Ferraioli, credited with alerting emergency personnel, reliving what she woke up to Sunday morning.
"I don't really know what woke me up, but when I opened my eyes I could see the whole window was like orange it was like a glow," she said.
Firefighters say they received her 911 call around 3:30 a.m. Sunday and within minutes, police and fire personnel arrived to the Ayer Drive home to see it completely engulfed in flames. Some people were out on the front lawn, others were rescued from the burning home.
"Some of them were already out of the house, some were still in," said Michael Costabile Assistant Chief of McKownville Fire Department.
"It was a joint effort between the first arriving firefighters and the police officers."
"I knew there was kids in there because there's always a couple kids inside, the police got here pretty quick and they pulled them out of the front of the house," Ferraioli said.
Five adults and children were taken to local hospitals, their condition is unknown at this time but they are expected to survive.
"Heavy smoke, a very well advanced fire at that point upon our arrival," Costabile said.
More than four departments from surrounding districts worked for hours in the cold to get the fire under control Sunday morning. Fire investigators arrived to try and determine a cause which they say could prove difficult due to the amount of damage.
"This was a very well advanced fire which might hinder our ability to say for sure what exactly was the cause, but the Town of Guilderland fire investigators are good," Costabile said.
"Just Amazing, there's all kinds of ash and soot in my backyard," Ferraioli said.
Looking at what's left of the home, Ferraioli says she's thankful for whatever reason why she woke up.
"I couldn't believe how hot it was standing inside my house next to the window, so I can't imagine what it was like over there," she said.
Fire investigators as well as police are still on scene trying to determine a cause, but at this time firefighters say it does not appear to be suspicious.