Animals rescued from burning garage in Blackfoot

BLACKFOOT — Firefighters rescued animals from a burning garage in Blackfoot on Wednesday. 

The structure fire was reported just before 5:30 p.m. off of South Meridian Street. A passerby reported they saw smoke coming out of a home, Cpt. David Lewis from the Blackfoot Fire Department told EastIdahoNews.com.

“When we got there, there was heavy pressurized smoke coming out of the garage,” he said. “The fire was pretty much contained to the garage but there is smoke damage throughout the house.”

Crews had forced a door open to see if any people were inside. Firefighters then learned the residents were away at the time of the fire. 

There was a litter of puppies inside, along with other animals in the garage. Lewis said there were seven puppies, three adult dogs, and a cat that they were all able to pull out. 

“I know the cat was in rough shape and they were taking it to the vet. The puppies were kind of coughing, but I think they were all okay,” he said. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Lewis said it appears to have been an electrical issue. 

Firefighters were on the scene for about two hours. The Blackfoot Police Department also responded and helped. South Meridian Street between Center Street and Wilson Avenue was blocked off to traffic due to hoses that had to run across the roads to fight the fire. 

Lewis shared a general safety reminder to the community as winter approaches. 

“Check electrical circuits. Extension cords aren’t supposed to be used for permanent wiring and don’t overload your circuits. Just basic electrical safety. It’s getting into winter, so people are going to be using heaters and things like that,” he said. “Make sure your heaters are cleared and have plenty of space.” 

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