Man and 2 Dogs Killed in House Fire While Wife and Kids Were Away: ‘Someone Lost Their Husband and Their Father’
The garage of the family’s California home caught fire on Nov. 30
Getty
Los Angeles Fire Department truck (stock image)A family is left without their father and pets after their California home went up in flames.
The blaze began in the garage of his home in La Habra during the morning of Saturday, Nov. 30, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department and local outlet KTLA. Firefighters were dispatched to the residence at 10:38 a.m. and put out the bulk of the blaze by 11:10 a.m.
After putting out the flames, the fire crew found a fatally injured man — the 48-year-old owner of the home — inside the garage, per KTLA and CBS News. Two of the family’s dogs were also found dead, while another unresponsive dog was taken to an animal hospital.
Neighbors were alerted to the garage fire after it caused tires to pop loudly — a sound that Alisa Grace thought was an explosion, she told KTLA. Knowing that the home belongs to a family of four and their dogs, she went outside to investigate.
Related: Texas Dad Dies in Thanksgiving House Fire — Leaving Behind His Wife and 7 Kids
“We ran up to the front door and we were knocking to see if anybody was home,” she told the outlet. “But the flames were just coming out of the garage, smoke was billowing out.”
“All the cars are in the driveway and you’re thinking, ‘Well, maybe they’re all out of town because nobody’s answering the door,’” the neighbor added.
STRUCTURE FIRE w/1 Fatality | E191| 1300 Block of Farrington Dr, #LaHabra | #LACoFD Disp: 10:38, OnS: 10:43, KD 11:10. Primary search discovered one fatally injured patient. Cause of fire unknown, investigators en route. #FarringtonIC
— L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) November 30, 2024
Other neighbors — including a retired L.A. County fire captain — also gathered to try and extinguish the fire to no avail, KTLA reported.
The retired captain, Art Arzaga, told the outlet that this incident is particularly tragic because of the holiday season. “It hurts any time,” he said, “and because you’re around family and friends and you just want to have a festive time.”
“It’s a tragic loss for everyone, for our neighborhood,” he said.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Authorities traced the fire to the garage, but the cause of the blaze is still unknown. “It’s challenging because it depends on how good of an idea they have of where the fire started and what caused it,” Fred Fielding, an L.A. County Fire spokesperson, told KTLA.
“So, that can take longer depending on how clear that picture is,” he added.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The wife and children of the victim, whose identity has not been made public, are trying to return home as soon as possible, their loved ones informed KTLA.
“It’s just very sad,” Grace said of the situation. “Someone lost their husband and their father. It just breaks our hearts for our neighbors.”
