EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — Fourteen animals were inside a home when a fire started Saturday evening — four of which did not survive. The Evansville Fire Department says they were dispatched to the 2700 block of Roosevelt Drive around 6:23 p.m. for a possible house fire.
Firefighters on scene said they saw smoke from the rear of the home. EFD reports firefighters entered though the front door and quickly put out flames from a bedroom. The fire was considered fully extinguished in about fifteen minutes.
The occupants told first responders they woke up to smoke and could feel the heat from the blaze. The residents said they went into their hallway and saw flames coming from another room, so they tried to extinguish it but weren’t able to.
The residents told EFD they tried move out their four dogs, nine cats and one bird that were at the home during the fire. Firefighters report an attempt to find cats inside the home and render medical aid. EFD tells us a dog, two cats and the bird did not survive.
EFD believes the fire started in a window air conditioner and investigators classified it as an accidental electrical fire. Fire and smoke damaged a large portion of the home, EFD says, and the residents were displaced. Animal control and the Red Cross were notified. No injuries were reported.