Albuquerque Fire Rescue crews rushed into a burning home in the 9000 block of Zuni around 9 a.m. on Monday and pulled three dogs to safety before the flames could spread beyond a single room. Investigators later determined the fire was accidental, sparked by a candle that had been left burning unattended. No residents or firefighters were hurt in the response, which drew a heavy show of force from the department.
Crews Race In, Dogs Come Out Safe
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene after a report of a structure fire, and crews confirmed a working fire upon arrival, according to KOAT. During the search of the home, crews from Medic 5 and Ladder 5 safely rescued three dogs from the residence, per ABQ RAW. The fire itself was contained to a single room and its contents, and firefighters had it under control within six minutes of arriving on scene.
The response was substantial for a fire of that size: a total of 13 apparatus and 35 firefighters responded to the incident, the outlet reports. Despite the scale of the response, there were no reported injuries to the residents or AFR firefighters. The occupants of the home are now being assisted by the American Red Cross following a referral from Albuquerque Fire Rescue.
Investigators Point to an Unattended Candle
Fire investigators determined the blaze was accidental in nature, caused by a candle that had been left burning, according to the same report. It's a familiar culprit nationally: from 2014 through 2018, U.S. fire departments responded to an annual average of 7,610 home structure fires started by candles, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Those fires caused an annual average of 81 civilian deaths, 677 civilian injuries and $278 million in direct property damage during that period, the NFPA notes, and three in five candle fires started when something that could burn was simply too close to the flame.
Not the First Time AFR Has Pulled Pets From the Flames
Monday's rescue fits a pattern local crews have seen before. In one earlier Albuquerque blaze near the city's Uptown area, Albuquerque Fire Rescue crews rescued two dogs from inside a burning home, with that fire brought under control in nine minutes, according to KOB 4. In a separate incident reported by the Daily Dispatch, firefighters successfully rescued three dogs and searched for a possible fourth dog that may still have been inside or in the surrounding area. And at a northeast Albuquerque home, crews got the fire under control in less than 10 minutes while rescuing two dogs, per KRQE.
For now, the Zuni Road household is recovering with help from the Red Cross while the three rescued dogs join a growing list of pets Albuquerque firefighters have pulled from burning homes this year.
