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Ballwin family escapes Christmas Eve fire, loses two dogs

BALLWIN, Mo. – Christmas Eve emergency in west St. It forced first responders in St. Louis County to take action and highlighted a hidden holiday danger.

The fire occurred just before 2 p.m. on Arbor Trails Drive in Ballwin, not far from Big Bend Boulevard. The family escaped the house fire, but two of their dogs could not be saved.

While the flames were brought under control on the first floor in the kitchen where the fire broke out, the smoke spread to the rest of the house. There were at least two primary school-age children in the house at the time of the fire.

“The family was home at the time but they were able to successfully get out,” said Capt. Matt Coppin of the Metro West Fire Protection District.

Rescuers were notified the pets were still inside and retrieved them, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

The family spent the rest of Christmas Eve trying to salvage what they could from the inside.

“Today is definitely a difficult time when you have a fire in your home like this family experienced,” Coppin said. “We will support them as much as we can… They have family from the outside who are already on the scene and helping them.”

Firefighters said the blaze shows why holiday cooking can quickly become dangerous.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, Christmas Eve is one of the three most common days for home cooking fires, after Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Fire officials warn people to stay in the kitchen while cooking, keep flammable materials away from the stove, and never cook while tired or intoxicated. If a fire starts, fire officials urge people to get out of the house, close the door behind them and call 911.

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