News Center 7's Sean Cudahy spoke with family members Monday evening as they tried to salvage what they could. Family members said they were relieved to have made it out safely, along with their pets.
“I was looking down the street and I was like, ‘oh no, a house is on fire,’” neighbor Alexis Andrade said.
She saw smoke as she got off the bus, and Cyndi Roseberry did, too, as she drove home.
“First thing you do is look to see whose house it is,” Roseberry said.
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Responding crews, who arrived to find the fast-moving fire had made it upstairs, knew right away all people made it out on their own. But they also were aware the family’s two dogs were still inside.
Firefighters knocked down the flames, and were able to find both dogs in the basement, alive.
“We found them dealing with quite a beat of smoke but crews did amazing pet care with them,” Reichert said.
That care involved getting the dogs on a blanket, and they were administered oxygen through special masks fire crews carry for animals. Then, firefighters took them to an emergency veterinary clinic.
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Neighbors were overjoyed the dogs made it.
“Thank goodness!” Andrade said.
“I was so relieved … we have animals, too, and if we were to lose one it would just break my heart. So I was very happy for them at least their puppies made it out,” Roseberry said.
The family said they shaken by what they went through and said the dogs are doing well, getting care at the vet.
Reichert said it was too early to put a dollar amount on the interior and exterior damage, but that it looked to be a total loss.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The American Red Cross is helping the family tonight as they find somewhere to stay.
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