Early this morning, a blaze engulfed a north Harris County home, but thanks to the efforts of local firefighters, five residents and two puppies emerged unharmed. According to Click2Houston, the Aldine and Westfield fire departments responded to a fire in the 1700 block of Warwick Road at 1 a.m. where they found heavy smoke and flames. The two men and three women residing in the house had already escaped before the firefighters arrived on the scene.
The rescue operation included firefighters navigating through a home choked with smoke to locate and save two puppies. The Houston Chronicle reports that District Chief Joe Leggett of the Aldine Fire Department detailed how the firefighters "cut a hole in the roof to allow some of the smoke to escape." This tactic allowed the first responders to battle against a dense and disorienting smoke while seeking out the trapped animals.
Both dogs were found in a back bedroom and were promptly brought to safety. The puppies "were not injured and handed off to be checked out by medical professionals and then returned to the homeowners," Leggett told the Houston Chronicle. Fortunately, no injuries to humans were reported in either account of the incident.
While the residents had initially attempted to extinguish the fire themselves, their efforts proved unsuccessful. The cause of the fire is still under investigation; however, preliminary investigation and witness accounts suggest the fire started in a room full with books. The determination of the cause is ongoing as investigators sift through clues to piece together the events that led to the near tragedy.
