A couple of months ago, a family from Colorado shared CCTV footage of a devastating house fire that shocked people across the country. The fire mostly engulfed the kitchen area but also caused damage upstairs.
Typically, such fires might result from forgotten appliances left on, but this wasn’t the case here. The family had checked everything before leaving for the day.
So, what caused the fire? The answer might surprise you – a special furry culprit was behind it all.
Believe it or not, a family dog, left alone and unattended, caused a house fire in Colorado Springs.
Thankfully, the Colorado Springs Fire Department responded swiftly, extinguishing the flames that had engulfed the kitchen and spread to the living area downstairs.
Kim Smith, whose daughter, Bri, owns the house, reported that the entire upstairs area suffered the consequences of the terrible fire, too.
On a GoFundMe page established to support her daughter, she noted:
“Their clothing and items in their home were ruined due to smoke damage. Their whole upstairs is now unlivable.”
After extinguishing the blaze, the family reviewed their home’s CCTV footage to identify the cause of the fire.
The cameras, which cover the living room, dining room, and part of the kitchen, captured the family dog jumping onto the kitchen counter.
The footage showed the dog accidentally turning on the stove, which ignited a couple of paper boxes placed on top. Flames quickly spread throughout the kitchen, filling the space with smoke.
Take a look at the CCTV footage – you can actually hear the ‘beep’ sound when the dog turned the stove on:
Thankfully, the dog and other family pets were unharmed by the fire, but the family was temporarily displaced from their home.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of important safety precautions:
• Never leave combustibles on the stove when you’re not around
• Ensure smoke detectors are functional
• Consider installing gates to restrict pets’ access to the kitchen and other hazardous areas