Every animal in Justin Barowski and his girlfriend’s Hamlet Avenue home survived a fire on October 2, after the couple and others helped get the pets out. Their household included rescue dogs, cats, geckos, fish and snakes.
The fire tore through the couple's home that night, according to WJAR. Justin Barowski and his girlfriend had been warned by his brother, Michael Barowski, that flames were spreading, and Justin said he tried to open an exit only to find fire blocking the way. The couple has made a habit of taking in rescue dogs, cats, geckos, fish and snakes, and Justin, who spent a decade working at Petco, told the station he's committed to treating every animal they bring home as a rescue that deserves care, including two dogs missing legs.
As smoke spread through the house, Justin and Michael moved animals toward an exit, getting the larger pets out through a window. Justin later returned for the last cat, finding it by touch in a smoke-filled hallway. A police officer at the window helped the couple and the animals out, WJAR reported.
Bodycam Video Shows Officers Helping With the Exotic Menagerie
Separate footage from the scene, aired by WPRI, showed Woonsocket police bodycam video capturing officers helping evacuate a wider menagerie from the same address — sugar gliders, a hedgehog, a turtle, a snake and a cat — alongside three home occupants. Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates praised the officers' bravery during the rescue, and authorities said the fire appeared to be electrical in origin, resulting in the structure being condemned.
The Barowskis told WJAR that the power went out shortly before they noticed smoke. The fire was contained to the first floor, allowing those upstairs to escape through the second story. The precise cause remains under investigation.
Community Response Moves Fast to Rehouse the Family
The couple’s animals are staying at Justin Barowski’s parents’ house while the family regroups. Mike Barowski launched a GoFundMe fundraiser titled “After the House Fire in Woonsocket” to help with emergency housing and animal care after the family lost its belongings.
Justin Barowski also sought a two-bedroom rental in Woonsocket on a local community Facebook page, saying he and his girlfriend work as veterinary technicians and needed a place that would accept dogs. WJAR reported that they found an apartment two streets from their former home and were waiting to sign the paperwork. The landlord reportedly lowered the rent, and members of a church connected to his girlfriend’s parents offered to help furnish the apartment.
A Familiar Risk for Pet Owners Nationwide
House fires can be deadly for animals. American Humane estimates that roughly 40,000 pets die in U.S. residential fires each year, mostly from smoke inhalation, and that nearly 500,000 are affected annually. The organization also cites approximately 750 residential fires accidentally started by pets each year; there is no indication an animal played any role in starting the Woonsocket fire.
Electrical malfunctions, meanwhile, rank among the top three causes of U.S. home structure fires behind cooking and heating equipment, per The Zebra. That national pattern lines up with what Woonsocket authorities have said about the Hamlet Avenue fire's suspected origin, even as the exact cause stays under investigation.
How the Woonsocket Fire Fits National Patterns
Cooking was the leading cause of U.S. residential building fires in 2023, with an estimated 167,800 fires, compared with 27,900 heating fires and 23,700 electrical malfunction fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Those national figures provide context, but they do not establish what caused the Hamlet Avenue fire: local authorities said it appeared electrical in origin, while the precise cause remains under investigation.
Police and firefighters responded quickly to the scene and assisted directly with getting the pets out, WJAR reported. The Woonsocket Fire Department operates three stations staffed by 109 full-time personnel covering a city of nearly 44,000 residents across 9.5 square miles, according to Northeast Firenews. Rhode Island as a whole maintains nearly twice as many firefighters per capita as the national average and leads the country in per-resident municipal fire spending, Hoodline has reported previously — resources that help explain the swift response on Hamlet Avenue. Hoodline's earlier coverage of the fire detailed the initial escape and emergency response as the incident first unfolded.
