A family has been displaced and several pets were killed Saturday morning after a fire tore through the family's Fort Lupton home.

About 4:13 a.m., crews were called to a two-story home on a report of a structure fire, said Phil Tiffany, chief of the Fort Lupton Fire Protection District. When firefighters arrived, the back side of the home was almost entirely engulfed in flames.

The fire blocked the home's interior stairway — the only exit for the two adults in the home. As a result, a man and a woman were forced to climb out of a window and onto the home's roof.

Heavy smoke surrounded the home.

Shortly before crews arrived, the woman jumped 10 to 12 feet to the ground. When crews arrived, they heard a man screaming for help on a second-story balcony.

"They could hear someone yelling, but they couldn't see him; the smoke was thick," Tiffany said.

Firefighters attempted to extend a ladder up to the man, but they had difficultly locating him. When the man heard the crew below him, he screamed out.

As firefighters were climbing up the ladder, they discovered the man was already climbing down.

Two children also living in the home were able to find their way out shortly before crews arrived. All four family members were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

Several of the family's cats and two dogs — Thunder and Lightning — were killed in the fire, Tiffany said. Firefighters found an additional cat, which appeared to be doing well.

Freezing temperatures and strong winds made fighting the fire difficult. Several hoses froze, and the area surrounding the home was quickly turned into a skating rink as crews worked to extinguish the blaze, Tiffany said.

Crews were on the scene until 11 a.m.

The Brighton Fire Protection District, the Frederick-Fire-stone Fire Protection District, the Plattville Gilcrest Fire Protection District and the Fort Lupton Police Department assisted with the fire. The Red Cross also is providing the family with services.

The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation. The home appears to be almost a total loss, Tiffany said.

Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1794, jsteffen@denverpost.com or twitter.com/jsteffendp