It was a sad end to the Labor Day Weekend for one Maite couple. But the two are still lucky to be alive after a fire ravaged the wood-and-tin shack they called home for the past half-decade. And KUAM News was at the scene - just in time to call emergency responders.

All of it unfolding in a matter of minutes. From the moment I saw the smoke billowing into the air to firefighters responding and the fire bringing the couple’s home completely to the ground. Flames roaring overnight.

The fire quickly growing at this wood and tin shack off East O’brien Drive in Maite just after 9 o’clock Monday night. The home stood behind a local detailing company.

Witnesses close by watching and recording on their phones, as one person even shouted for someone to call 911. Immediately on scene – I got on the phone with emergency officials telling them to send help.

Sitting on a chair just steps away, I approached a woman, who I learned was Rose Dereas. When I asked if the home was hers, she replied, "Yeah."

Rose watched as her husband used a hose to douse the flames – but it was spreading too quickly. Rose says she lived here with her husband for the past five years.

She suspects the fire was caused by the cardboard she left burning inside - a method used to keep mosquitoes away. "We were burning the egg carton inside because there’s plenty mosquitoes," she said.

Fortunately, both were not inside at the time the fire sparked. Guam Fire Department firefighters arriving shortly after, with one firefighter pulling the hose from the fire truck – the tin roof already caving in.

"I am really scared because you know I don’t have all my clothes and everything is inside," Rose admitted.

Though GFD officials quickly put it out, the aftermath left Rose devastated. "Everything is destroyed. All my clothes - this is all I have now and him. There’s nowhere we can stay now," she said.

Still – she was grateful her husband and her got away unharmed. "We’re alive," she said. "Thanks to God for that."

Even showing appreciation for the 911 call we made. "Thank you very much to you because we don’t have a phone. Thank you to you for calling 911," she said.

And no thanks necessary, Rose. We did reach out to the american red cross of guam officials who tell me they did visit the property.

Officials there say they will be working to help rose and her family get back on their feet.