MIAMI — The smell of blackened, burned rubble still lingers inside the house where an early-morning fire left a family devastated. Outside, debris from the firefight remains scattered around the property.

The fire tore through a duplex near the 1800 block of Northwest 53rd Street Saturday morning around 10:30 a.m., forcing everyone inside to flee.

The blaze is believed to have been caused by an e-bike, though officials say the exact cause is still under investigation.

“With every step,” Josue Paz said as he walked through the damage, he faces heartbreak and devastation.

What was once his family’s living room is now reduced to piles of ash and rubble.

Paz said he was inside the home when an e-bike charging in the house suddenly caught fire.

“Yep, that’s part of the bike. Right there, right there,” he said, pointing to debris.

“I couldn’t really process anything and it just happened,” Paz said.

Paz rushed to get his family out before the flames spread.

“My first thought was getting everybody out of the house. I was trying to call everybody,” he said. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s get out.”

Fire officials say lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes and e-scooters have been linked to a growing number of fast-moving fires nationwide. Miami Fire Rescue is still working to determine the exact cause of this fire.

Despite losing everything, Paz said surviving the fire is what matters most.

“I’m glad that I got my neighbors out, I got my family out,” he said.

Six people escaped the fire, along with a dog. They are staying with loved ones as the fire department continues to work to pinpoint how the fire started.

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A woman was found dead on the roadway in Southwest Miami on Friday morning, deputies said.

According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, just before 6 a.m., deputies arrived at the 9800 block of Southwest 170th Street after receiving reports of a person who was unresponsive and lying on the roadway.

Once at the scene, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pronounced the woman dead.

Her identity has not been released.

A death investigation is underway, and the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the woman’s cause of death.

MDSO said there are no suspects at this time.

Residents in Hollywood are raising concerns about electric bikes and scooters on the city’s popular Broadwalk, despite local ordinances banning motorized devices in the area.

CBS News Miami observed several riders using e‑bikes and scooters along the path on Friday, even though signs clearly prohibit them. Human‑powered bicycles remain common, but residents say the growing presence of e‑bikes makes the area more dangerous.

“It just seems like they are going pretty fast, and it’s amazing that we haven’t had a tragedy,” said George Pancol, who lives nearby.

City rules limit motorized devices

City rules allow only human‑powered devices on the Broadwalk, and riders must operate them safely. Hollywood police told CBS News Miami that violators can receive civil citations.

“It’s tough to enforce it. It would be nice if we could, but you just can’t have someone here 24/7,” Pancol said.

Some riders acknowledge restrictions

Some e‑bike users acknowledge the restrictions.

“I believe we cannot be here, but I know that, and I don’t do that,” said Erika Eias, who rides an e‑bike elsewhere.

Residents like Michel Desilets worry authorities aren’t doing enough.

“I think the authorities accept it. To me, they don’t care too much,” he said.

Accident data shows rising injuries

Hollywood Fire Department data shows there have been 136 bike‑related accidents on the Broadwalk this year.

While the department doesn’t distinguish between traditional bikes and e‑bikes, a source told CBS News Miami that many of the trauma injuries involve electric bikes.