MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (KRON) -- A family of six in the South Bay is beginning the new year without a home. Their house caught fire early morning on Wednesday in Mountain View. The fire started around 3:20 a.m. in a Mountain View neighborhood near west El Camino Real. The couple and their four children were inside at the time of the fire. Fortunately, all made it out safely. "Pretty rare to see fire engines here," said neighbor Kevin Quinn. 4.7 earthquake in Lake County felt in Bay Area Pieces of tile roofing, wood and other debris lay in piles outside of the Mountain View home. It went up in flames just after 3 a.m. on New Year's Day. Arun Shankar, who lives across the street, was awake when the fire trucks came through the neighborhood. “I could see like really bright red lights from behind my door," Shankar said. "When I stepped out I could see two or three fire engines… the street was blocked over there.” The homeowners say the fire started inside a trashcan next to the attached garage. The flames then travel to a fence and to the roof of the garage. Shankar watched as fire crews cut a hole in the roof. “They were using some kind of a chain saw, to cut open the roof to let the heat out," he said. LIST: Bay Area bridge tolls, public transit fares increasing in 2025 The homeowners did not wish to go on camera, but they say there is severe smoke damage inside their home. They're able to stay in a hotel tonight -- thanks to a donation from the California Professional Firefighters Union. Quinn has lived in the neighborhood for 28 years. He lives next door to the family and says the whole neighborhood is sending them well wishes. The homeowners say their focus right is to work with their insurance company to fix the damage, which officials say was about $200,000. The family says they are looking to a brighter new year. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.