House fire in east Vancouver kills two dogs

Two dogs were killed in a house fire Wednesday morning in east Vancouver.

They were found by firefighters who searched the small, ranch-style house once the fire was extinguished, Vancouver Fire Department spokesman Bryan Fredrickson said.

The homeowner was not there when firefighters arrived, Fredrickson said, and officials had been unable to contact them.

Vancouver fire crews were dispatched at 10:38 a.m. to Northeast Burton Road and 110th Avenue for a report of a residential fire.

The first crew to arrive told dispatchers that heavy smoke was billowing from a small, one-story house. A firefighter said the home was probably no larger than 600 square feet, according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian.

Firefighters confirmed shortly thereafter that there was an active fire inside the house. They quickly attached a water hose to a fire hydrant across the street and started dousing flames from outside, according to the scanner.

Crews pulled two water lines and entered the back of the home, Fredrickson said. There were a lot of furnishings and belongings around the interior, which made it difficult for firefighters to douse the flames, he said. It took about 20 minutes until the fire was under control.

The house was significantly damaged and is likely uninhabitable.

A total of six fire engines responded, along with several additional apparatuses, Fredrickson said.