Walton County firefighters rescue three dogs found in Freeport home during electrical fire

FREEPORT — Firefighters rescued three dogs from a family’s home after the house caught fire just two days before Thanksgiving.

Walton County Fire Rescue firefighters responded to a home on Bayou Circle in Freeport around 6 p.m. on Tuesday after receiving a 911 call from a neighbor, according to a WCFR news release.

The neighbor reported hearing smoke detectors going off inside the home. When Engine 12 and Engine 5 arrived on scene, the crew found smoke coming from the residence.

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Firefighters found three family dogs inside the house and safely removed them. None of the residents were home at the time. The fire was discovered in a bathroom of the house, where it was spreading through the ceiling into the attic, WCFR reported.

Crews quickly began fighting the flames in the attic and were able to isolate the fire, keeping the flames from spreading and damaging most of the home.

“Incredible work by our Freeport crew,” said Fire Chief Tracey Vause. “Because of their thorough search and quick action, a home and three beloved pets were saved. This will definitely be added to our list of things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving week.”

The homeowner was notified and arrived on scene a short time later. She was provided with contact information for the American Red Cross. The fire was caused by an electrical issue in the bathroom’s exhaust fan.