A man and his two dogs escaped a house fire in the early hours of Wednesday on Fort Wayne’s southeast side, fire officials said.

The Fort Wayne Fire Department said crews were dispatched to a home in the 2200 block of Oliver Street at 6:59 a.m. and arrived six minutes later, at 7:05 a.m. Responders found fire and heavy smoke visible through the home’s windows and began an interior and exterior attack, bringing the blaze under control at 7:22 a.m.

Firefighters remained on scene after extinguishment to check for hot spots, ventilate the structure and assess the extent of smoke infiltration and water damage.

Officials described moderate fire and water damage to the structure and heavy smoke damage throughout the home.

The rapid sequence — a six‑minute response from the emergency call to arrival and bringing the fire under control within 23 minutes — limited what the department characterized as more severe structural loss. Local crews led extinguishment and scene‑safety operations while the Fort Wayne Fire Department served as the primary agency for the investigation.

Witnesses and responders described flames and smoke visible from multiple windows as crews worked. Fire personnel used ventilation to clear smoke and stayed on site to ensure no remaining embers could rekindle the fire before clearing the scene, according to department reports.

The incident underscores that cooking remains the leading cause of residential fires: nationwide data show cooking accounted for 48.7% of residential building fires in 2023, followed by unintentional or careless acts (9.2%), heating equipment (8.1%) and electrical malfunctions (6.9%). Prevention measures commonly cited by fire‑safety experts include never leaving cooking unattended and keeping flammable materials away from heat sources.

Pet safety was an element in this incident only insofar as the occupant evacuated with two dogs before crews arrived. Fire officials and animal‑response organizations advise that pet owners confine animals to one accessible area with collars and leashes nearby for quick evacuation and to keep an emergency kit with food, water and medical supplies near an exit. The presence of pets can complicate firefighting operations because animals often hide in hard‑to‑access spaces, increasing search time and risk to both pets and responders; many fire services now carry specialized pet oxygen masks and have developed protocols to address those challenges.

The Fort Wayne Fire Department’s timeline and containment were credited with keeping the structural impact from becoming worse. After investigators completed their on‑scene work, officials cleared the location and released information that the cause was incendiary.

No additional injuries were reported, and the department did not disclose further identifying details about the occupant. The Fort Wayne Fire Department remains the lead agency on the incident investigation.

Source

Original reporting: view the original article.