Officials say a two-alarm fire sent a family fleeing from its City Island home Sunday morning.

Residents say the fire in many ways proves their months-long fight to keep City Island's only ladder company in service, despite the city's original plan to close it for budgetary reasons. Robert Rice, who lives at 105 Schofield St. where the fire broke out, says firefighters arrived within minutes of his call and extinguished the flames before they destroyed his home.

Neighbors say they are thankful they rallied to keep Ladder 53 in service for instances like this one. Rice believes the fire may have been caused by electrical problems.