About 40 dogs killed in Washington house fire, firefighters rescue 3 from blaze

Nearly 40 dogs died in an early morning house fire in Washington State after flames engulfed the home of a man who claimed to be a dog breeder, authorities said.

Firefighters responded to the fire in Poulsbo around 2:30 a.m. Friday morning after a neighbor noticed the flames and called 911, Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue said in a statement.

Neighbors said that there might be people living in the house, which was completely reduced to ashes when the fire brigade arrived.

Police were able to contact the homeowner after running the license plates of a vehicle outside the home and obtaining a phone number. The owner of the house, who was not at home at the time, arrived shortly after.

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Fire officials said that there was no one in the house at the time of the fire and there were dozens of animals inside.

“Firefighters were able to save three dogs, but unfortunately approximately 40 more dogs perished in the fire,” Ileana LiMarzi, a public information officer with the fire department, said in a statement. he said.

Firefighters rescued three of dozens of dogs that were in the home at the time of the fire, officials said. (Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue)

LiMarzi told KOMO News It was stated that approximately a dozen cats also perished in the fire.

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“This is a difficult decision and, to my knowledge, certainly not something we have encountered in my 15 years here,” he said.

Fire officials did not immediately identify the homeowner but said he claimed to be a dog breeder.

The cause of the fire was not clear. The Kitsap County Fire Department opened an investigation. (Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue)

The three rescued dogs were released to Kitsap Animal Control for further care.

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Further information about the animals found in the home was not immediately available.

The Kitsap County Fire Chief is investigating the cause of the fire.