Florida home is totally destroyed by blaze firefighters fear was started by AIR FRYER used to heat up pizza

A Florida family home has been obliterated in a fire officials believe was sparked by an air fryer being used to heat up a pizza. 

The property in Cooper City, around 13 miles south-west of Fort Lauderdale, was completely engulfed in flames after the device was left unattended.

Broward Sheriff's Fire Rescue officials determined the likely cause to have been the popular kitchen appliance. It is unclear what brand the air fryer was, or how it malfunctioned.

The homeowner said she was in her yard at the time of the fire and managed to save her dog from the flames - but her property had been 'completely destroyed'. 

'I was sweeping the front yard and then I heard the fire alarm,' the unnamed resident told NBC 6. 

A Florida family's home is pictured ruined after being burned in a blaze firefighters believe was started by an air fryer 

Investigators say the device was being used to heat up a pizza at the time. They haven't said which brand it was - or why they suspect it overheated 

The house was totally destroyed by the blaze with its interior covered with insulation foam blasted out of walls and ceilings by fire fighting efforts 

The homeowner said she was in her yard at the time of the fire and managed to save her dog from the flames - but her property had been 'completely destroyed'

'When I go in through the garage door, I open the door and my dog is in the cage in the kitchen and my air fryer is on fire and it was already spreading into the stove, into the cabinets.

'I ran to the side door and opened the side door of the kitchen, grabbed the dog and ran out. Now our house, we can't live in it anymore. It's completely destroyed.' 

The resident, a mother to three children who also live in the home, added that she had been using the air fryer to heat up a pizza.

Drone footage shows firefighters responding to the fire in the 8000 block of Southwest 57th Manor as smoke billowed above. 

While the walls of the building remained mostly intact, the interior was completely obliterated, as shown in dramatic photographs shared by the homeowner. 

The fire blazed a path of destruction through the entire property, razing every appliance and piece of furniture in sight. 

Meanwhile, insulation has been left falling from the ceiling beams while the floors have been blackened by the smoke. 

The resident, a mother to three children who also live in the home, added that she had been using the air fryer to heat up a pizza

Fire Rescue Chief Michael Kane confirmed that there were no injuries and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. He advised people to unplug their air fryers when not in use. 

'Certainly you don't want to leave it unattended, at least not for a long period of time,' Kane told NBC. 

'Most air fryers have a timer but some of those timers could be quite long, an hour or more.

'I would recommend checking that air fryer every couple of minutes while your food is cooking. 

'I certainly wouldn't leave the house while you have something in the air fryer cooking because if you do have a mishap, you may not catch it in time.'

Air fryers are convection ovens that have become hugely popular in recent years.

They can cook food far more quickly than regular ovens and - unlike regular deep fay fryers - do not require any oil.

The devices are also cheaper to run than a full-size oven, making them an ideal choice for singletons or people who are trying to save cash.