Dog Dies In Waukesha House Fire: Report

WAUKESHA, WI — Authorities in Waukesha say a kitchen fire that started while a family was away from home claimed the life of their family dog.

At just after 12:30 a.m. on May 17, authorities in Waukesha received a call for a report of a residential structure fire at on the 1200 block of Cherrywood Drive.

Authorities said the homeowners came home early that morning to find a fire in the kitchen, and immediately called 911. Once the fire department arrived on scene they extinguished the fire, limiting fire damage to the kitchen area, with smoke damage throughout the split-level home.

Fire crews located a dog on the second floor, and set about to immediately remove the dog from the area. Crews attempted to resuscitate the dog, but unfortunately, even with the fire departments efforts, the dog passed away.

The fire department and family are working with HAWS to care for the deceased dog. Investigators said the fire was started in the kitchen behind the refrigerator. The Fire Department will be working with the insurance company to determine the exact cause of the fire.

An initial damage estimate is approximately $35,000. There was no civilian or fire department injuries, but one dog deceased.

The Fire Department reminds all members of our community:

• Check your smoke detectors at least once a month.
• Working smoke detectors should be located on every level of your home.
• Practice with your family a home exit drill so that if you have a fire in your home everyone can get out of the home.