Generic fire (Photo by Fairfax Media via Getty Images via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
ROBBINSDALE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Two dogs were saved from a house fire in Robbinsdale on Sunday after the homeowner noticed smoke while checking the indoor cameras.
What we know
The Robbinsdale Police Department said first responders were dispatched to a house fire just before 7 p.m. on the 4200 block of York Avenue North. The homeowner had noticed smoke while looking at the indoor cameras, and was away at the time of the fire, but said there were two Australian Shepard dogs inside, according to the press release.
A sergeant from the police department was the first to arrive at the scene and observed "dense smoke" through the windows. The homeowner, who was on the phone with neighbors outside the burning house, gave permission to the authorities to break down the door in order to save the dogs.
The sergeant then kicked in the front door, and the two dogs immediately left the burning home. Neighbors on scene then helped place the dogs safely in the backyard.
Firefighters located a blaze in the basement of the home, and authorities said the fire was extinguished before it caused any major structural damage.
What they’re saying
"Preserving life is a fundamental pillar in law enforcement. This is not only human life, it extends to all life," Captain John Elder with the Robbinsdale Police Department said in a statement. "These officers were unwilling to wait for the fire departments to arrive on the scene to ensure the animals safety. This was simply the right and compassionate response to this call."
What we don’t know
The press release did not state how the fire started or if the dogs sustained any injuries.