WATCH: Casper Fire-EMS Responds to House Fire, Family Displaced, Dog Saved By Neighbor
The Casper Fire-EMS team responded to a house fire on the 4th of July that caused enough damage to displace the family who occupied the home.
Casper Fire-EMS put out a press release late Sunday night, detailing the events of the fire.
According to the release, at approximately 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Casper Fire-EMS responded to a structure fire near Robertson Road. The on-duty Battalion Chief was in the area of the fire, and he noticed a significant smoke column in the River West area of town.
The release notes that the Chief immediately requested a full structure fire response, initially dispatching 4 engines and a truck. A fire engine from the Natrona County Fire Protection District also responded, due to its proximity to the fire.
Upon arriving at the scene, the Battalion Chief found a single family residence, located on Columbia River Road, with heavy fire coming from the rear of the house.
After speaking with bystanders, crew noted that there were no human residents in the home, but that were were multiple pets.
The release notes that a next-arriving rescue unity immediately began a search of the residence to confirm there were no human occupants, and to rescue any pets.
Upon arrival of the engines, firefighters began an interior approach to begin attacking the fire but after a short time, heavy fire breached the roof of the house and firefighters backed out taking a defensive position extinguishing the main body of fire from the exterior.
Several pets were rescued in the early minutes of the fire and it was reported that a neighbor had rescued a dog through a window of the residence, prior to firefighters' arrival. In total, 3 dogs and 4 cats were rescued and care was provided to them with the assistance of the Casper Police Department and Metro Animal Control.
Damage from the fire was extensive, with heavy damage done to the roof and living areas. Because of the damage, the occupants of the residence will be unable to return. The family has been offered assistance from the American Red Cross and the City/County Fire Burn Fund.
It was written that two neighboring residences did sustain exterior heat damage, but the fire did not extend into those structures.
Casper Fire-EMS reports that the cause of the fire appears to be accidental and that an investigator with the Natrona County Fire Protection District determined a smoker grill on the back deck to be the origin of the fire. The release states that no additional investigation is planned.
The release notes that, "Numerous partners of the Casper-Fire EMS were instrumental in bringing the incident under control. The Natrona County Fire Protection District, Casper Police, the Wyoming Medical Center, Rocky Mountain Power, Black Hills Energy, Metro Animal Control and the American red Cross all provided assistance."
Casper Fire-EMS also wanted to emphasize the importance of closing bedroom doors while sleeping.
"While there were no occupants at the time of the fire, doors to sleeping areas were closed and protection provided to those areas during the fire," the release stated. "Some of the pets were located in these areas and the simple act of closing thee door created survivable space for them. We encourage you to make it a habit to close bedroom doors for safety when you sleep.
"Also, working smoke alarms are crucial to alert you to fire should one occur as you sleep."
Below is a video that shows the house on fire, posted by the Casper Fire-EMS.