LEAGUE CITY — What began as a routine day of household chores quickly turned into a terrifying ordeal for a League City family after a dryer fire forced them from their home.

Jessica Margenau says she was doing laundry when the dryer suddenly caught fire.

“The dryer had been on. I opened the dryer, grabbed my sweatpants out, left the dryer open, and I had went to the bathroom to change,” Margenau said. “I come out of the bathroom, walked into the kitchen area, and I could smell smoke.”

Before Margenau could fully react, her granddaughter alerted the rest of the family.

“I want to thank Mackenzie, my granddaughter,” Noemi Margenau said. “She went around shouting, ‘Get out, get out, there’s a fire,’ and all of us got out.”

Family members rushed outside and called the fire department. Crews responded quickly and were able to extinguish the fire, but not before it caused extensive damage throughout the home.

“So this is all stained black. This isn’t normal,” Margenau said while walking through the house. “The smoke got all the way here.”

Much of the home suffered smoke and fire damage, including the laundry room, kitchen, and dining area. Margenau says most of the family’s belongings were destroyed.

“Most of our laundry did get destroyed. All of our animal supplies, because that was like our storage room, the kitchen, most of our kitchen stuff will be destroyed, and then of course the dining room area,” she said.

Charred walls, damaged appliances, and heavy smoke residue now make the home unsafe to live in. Margenau says they have not been given a repair timeline but expect the process to take several months.

“From what I’ve been told from other people who’ve been through a similar experience, it’s eight to 12 months,” she said.

No one was injured in the fire, but with freezing temperatures approaching, the home has been deemed uninhabitable. The family is currently staying with relatives as they begin the long road to recovery.

Margenau says support from employers, community members, and local organizations has helped during the first difficult days.

“I want to thank God that we all came out with our lives,” she said. “And for everyone that has donated personal items, clothing, even food, thank you each and every one.”

She also expressed gratitude to Joshua Cagle and Mercy Gate Church in Mont Belvieu for their support.

“It is an awesome, awesome show of love,” Margenau said.