Sally Wendt, 17, of Oak Lawn, and her mom were left homeless by an apartment fire.

Oak Lawn, IL -- A mom and her daughter are happy to be alive along with their pets after a fire ravaged their apartment earlier this week. Related: Fire Displaces 2 Families, Cat Rescued in Oak Lawn Oak Lawn firefighters put out a blaze Tuesday afternoon at an apartment building in the 10400 block of South Major Avenue. The fire started on a second floor balcony and spread into the unit. The fire was not grill related and the cause is under investigation.

Oak Lawn firefighters respond to a fire in the 10400 block of South Major Ave. on Tuesday. | GoFundMe Sally Wendt, 17, who is entering her senior year at Richards High School, said her mother had just dropped her off at home from summer school Tuesday afternoon. The teen had fallen asleep on the living room sofa when she was awakened by the exploding glass patio door.

"I woke up to a huge crash and boom. I looked over to the porch window and I see flames," Sally said, her voice still hoarse from minor smoke inhalation. The fire was already coming into apartment. I got up, called 911 and got all my animals." Sally said she gathered her dog, Coco, a chihuahua-terrier mix, and her cat Jinx. She threw both animals into the back hallway, which was already starting to fill with smoke.

"I told Coco to run. He's a real smart dog. He ran to the bottom of the stairs," Sally said. "Jinx went halfway down the stairs. I could tell he was really scared."

She then realized that her kitten, Packie, was still inside the apartment. Sally was able to locate the kitten in the bathroom and grabbed her dog's leash. She pushed the kitten's carrier into the hallway.

While exiting the back stairway with her cats, she banged on her neighbors' doors and told them to get out of the building. Fire-gutted apartment at apartment building in Oak Lawn, IL. | GoFundMe