Maryland Dog Accidentally Starts House Fire That Kills 3 Pets and Causes R3 Million in Damage

• A Maryland family's dog triggered a house fire by activating a toaster while jumping on the kitchen counter
• Three pets, including a dog and two cats, died in the blaze while two dogs were rescued by neighbours
• Fire experts warn that pets start nearly 1,000 home fires in the US each year, urging owners to take precautions

A Maryland family returned home to devastation after their dog accidentally set their house on fire, killing three of their pets and causing an estimated $200,000 in damage. The fire broke out on Friday, 10 July, at the family's home in Belcamp while they were away. Ring camera footage reviewed by investigators from the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal showed the family's dog, Bo, climbing onto the kitchen counter and accidentally switching on a toaster.

The appliance ignited nearby materials and the fire quickly spread. Around 30 firefighters responded and brought the blaze under control in about 20 minutes. Neighbours managed to rescue Bo and another dog named Addie from the burning home. Sadly, a third dog, Dakota, and the family's two cats did not survive.

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Dog started the fire, kills other pets

While the incident posted by @abcnews page may seem like an unlikely event, fire safety authorities say it happens far more often than most people expect. According to the National Fire Protection Association, pets in the United States unintentionally cause close to 1,000 home fires every year. Common causes include animals switching on cooking appliances, knocking over lit candles, or chewing through electrical cords. The organisation also estimates that around 500,000 pets are affected by home fires in the US each year.

Watch the TikTok video below:

People feel sorry for the pets

Viewers online were divided, with some expressing sympathy for the family and others placing the blame firmly on the owners.

Arjun_qqq wrote:

"I know that dog was tryna find food."

Elina wrote:

"Why are people acting like he knew what he was doing and did it on purpose? This is also on the owner."

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NewRegularAmerican11 wrote:

"And this is why you keep your pets in a kennel when you're gone."

Scotty O wrote:

"Irresponsible dog owners didn't crate a dog that is known to get on the kitchen counters while left unattended. There, I fixed your headline."

Jordan The Grey wrote:

"As a former dog trainer, this was a hard watch. 100% preventable with proper training and enrichment."

VinylGoblinNate wrote:

"Why is everyone so insensitive? Yes it's the owners fault for not training the dog away from things like this and the toaster should have been unplugged. But they lost 3 pets. 3. That's usually as many as some people have. That's like losing 3 family members. The fact that no one seems to have any sympathy is wild."

3 Other Briefly News stories about dogs

• A video of a Johannesburg sanitation worker in a tug-of-war with a light brown dog over a rubbish bag went viral.
• A Malawian man facing repatriation from Gqeberha refused to return home without his six-year-old canine companion.
• A rescue organisation in South Africa confirmed that enough money has been raised to fly a dog to Malawi to be reunited with its owner.

Source: Briefly News