PARMA, Ohio — A dog is believed to have started a house fire in northeast Ohio by turning the stove on.
The fire happened on Gerald Ave in Parma, Ohio on July 7, CBS affiliate WOIO reported.
The owner of the home was burned trying to save her pets from the burning house, according to a Facebook post from the Parma Fire Department.
Upon arrival, crews were met with heavy fire and “difficult conditions inside.” The fire was extinguished in under an hour.
Investigators believe a dog may have turned on a burner on the stove and started the fire.
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“We do know that allegedly the owner kept dog treats over the stove so it may have had something to do with a dog going up on the counter trying to get those off the stove,” said Robert Bures, Public Information Officer for Parma Fire.
According to Bures, this sort of accident happens more often than you think. He said a dog started a fire in Medina back in April.
“The really sad thing is people usually aren’t home for those right they know that the owners are gone and that’s usually when they get up there. They know they can misbehave, they know they can get up on the stove,” Bures said.
The Parma Fire Department reported that all pets, including at least three dogs died in the fire.
The owner said there were four dogs in her home, three were hers and one she was watching for a friend. The dog she was watching sadly died in the fire.
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She attempted to rescue them all, but she ended up with second-degree burns on her feet and arms.
“We also really want to push as far as pet safety never go back into a burning structure,” Bures said. “We did receive reports that the occupant had tried to go back into her house to rescue her dogs, especially in Parma right, we’ve got fire companies all over the city.”
According to PFD on Facebook, there were no smoke alarms in the home.
“We really think that was part of why the fire got as bad as it did as fast as it did,” Bures said. “With working smoke detectors people are gonna get alerted a lot sooner and they’re gonna be alert to get out of the house, gather their pets and get out.”
The fire department recommends having at least one smoke alarm per floor to help reduce fire injuries and severity.