A house in Colorado Springs caught fire after the homeowners’ dog accidentally switched on the stove which had some boxes on top of it.
Firefighters from the Colorado Springs Fire Department were dispatched about 4:45 a.m. on June 26 to a home on the city’s south side for a reported fire, according to a Facebook post. The homeowners had alerted authorities of a “fire on the stove in their home that had been extinguished by one of the homeowners.”
Firefighters and rescue teams didn’t find an active fire when they got to the home and learned a resident had extinguished the blaze before crews arrived, the department said. The resident was hospitalized for smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported.
But investigators found an interesting culprit when they examined surveillance footage from the home.
“After talking to the homeowners and looking through their home security footage, we determined their pup got a bit curious and accidentally switched on the oven which had some boxes on top of it,” the fire department said.
Video footage captured by the home’s security camera shows the dog jumping on the stove and sniffing the boxes before scampering away. Seconds after dog leaves, the boxes on the stove catch fire and the whole kitchen is engulfed in smoke.
The homeowners, who were asleep at the time, were alerted of the incident and woken up by their Apple HomePod which sent them a “High Heat” notice.
The fire department urged the public to ensure that they have “working smoke alarms inside and outside every sleeping area and on every floor of the home, ensure all combustibles are away from your stovetop/oven, and know two ways out of every room in your home in the event of a fire.”
A spokesperson for the Colorado Springs Fire Department told USA TODAY that the property was damaged significantly and that the family has been displaced.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.
