CONNERSVILLE, Ind. — Three dogs died in a residence fire in Connersville on Saturday.
According to a Connersville Fire Department Facebook post, crews were dispatched to the 300 block of West 3rd Street around 6:20 a.m. to investigate a structure fire. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they located a home with heavy smoke and flames pushing out of it.
CFD crews searched the structure and began to attack the fire soon after they made it to the area. Firefighters had a difficult time searching the structure and extinguishing the fire because the home was a duplex or multi-unit building at one point in time.
CFD reported that access to the second floor of the house via the main staircase was blocked by a wall that had been put in to separate the structure’s apartments. Firefighters later found another staircase with access to the second floor of the building.
The floors around the second staircase, however, were not stable. CFD indicated that the floors were likely structurally unsound before Saturday’s fire ever started.
While CFD attempted to access the second floor of the building, the fire spread into the home’s attic. At that point, crews exited the building because its structural integrity was compromised.
Firefighters eventually accessed the second floor of the structure by using ladders to climb up to the roof and enter from above. Crews extinguished the fire after reaching the roof.
During its investigation, CFD learned two people and five dogs were living in the building. The fire department confirmed three of the dogs died in the fire.
Per CFD, the two people who lived in the building were not injured during the fire. Officials indicated firefighters were working at the scene for approximately four hours.
The cause of Saturday’s fire is currently undetermined. The Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting CFD with its investigation of the blaze.
