HOUSTON -- Flames, possibly ignited by a vehicle that poses a fire hazard, engulfed a La Porte home Monday night, causing its ceiling to collapse, Local 2 reported.

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Family Surveys Damage From Ford SUV Fire Neighbors Alert Family To SUV On Fire

Investigators said the family's 2000 Ford Expedition, which was recalled last month, caught fire at about 9:30 p.m. while it was parked under a carport with its ignition off.

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The fire spread to a Ford Explorer, then to the attic of the home in the 200 block of Utah near Avenue E.

Neighbors who saw the flames alerted the family to the fire.

"It looked like a tree was on fire. I came out and the closer I got, I saw the truck was on fire. By the time we got to the house, the flames were at the back door of the home," neighbor Tracy Dampier said.

The family safely escaped the home before its ceiling collapsed.

"We were all asleep. People started knocking on the door and screaming that the truck had caught on fire. We had to evacuate and get out of the house," said Maria Gauna, the vehicle's owner.

Gauna told Local 2 she last drove the Expedition at about 5:30 p.m. Monday. She said she did not smell or notice anything suspicious.

The La Porte Fire Department responded and put out the fire. Officials with the fire department told Local 2 the blaze remains under investigation but said they believe the fire started in the SUV.

"We talked to the witnesses and it appears it started in the Expedition on the driver's side," La Porte Fire Department Asst. Chief John Dunham said.

Ford recalled about 800,000 Ford vehicles in late January because of a problem with the cruise control deactivation switch on several vehicle models.

The nationwide recall, issued Jan. 27, affected the following vehicles:

2000 model Ford F-150 truck
2000 model Ford Expeditions
2000 Lincoln Navigators
Some 2001 Ford F-Series Supercrew Trucks
(built through Aug. 7, 2000)

Officials are investigating whether the recall needs to include older models as well.

The automaker said it would notify nearly 800,000 owners of the recalled vehicles at the beginning of February via postal mail; however, Gauna said she never received a notice.

Ford said owners can contact the company's Customer Assistance Center at (800) 392-3673 to learn more about the recall.

Also, owners who have experienced similar vehicle fires should report them to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at (888) 327-4236 or via their Web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.