East Side Fire Results In $100,000 Loss; Family And Pets Okay

Two people and seven animals are displaced from an east-side home following a fire that caused approximately $100,000 worth of damage.
 
Neighbors saw the house on fire and called 911. Firefighter/Paramedics on Medic 5 arrived first and reported to incoming crews that the garage was fully engulfed in flames. Engine Company 5 rolled in 30 seconds later to begin fire attack.
 
Flames were showing from the trusses above the garage door as firefighters approached, and flames extended approximately 15-20 feet from the west wall of the garage. Engine 5 attacked the large fire with two hose lines and had it knocked down in just under five minutes.
 
Meanwhile, Engine 8 and Ladder 8 performed search and rescue operations inside the home. They rescued one dog and two cats. A third cat was found but would not allow firefighters to retrieve it. That cat, and three more, were later retrieved by their owners, and all animals are in good health.
 
The interior of the home suffered some smoke damage, but the fire did not extend beyond the garage. The siding of a neighboring home suffered some damage due to the heat of the flames that extended from the west-facing wall.

The MFD Heavy Urban Rescue Team was called in to provide structural support so investigators could safely examine the interior of the garage.
 
The owners were not home at the time of the incident, but they are working with their insurance company to secure temporary housing.

The cause of this fire is still under investigation.


Pictured right:
   - Damaged garage
   - Smoke seen from the road as firefighters responded to the area
   - Heavy Urban Rescue Team raising support beams

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