A Saturday house fire in the 600 block of East 19th Street in Cheyenne claimed the life of five family pets as a result of an accident.
The Cheyenne Fire Rescue (CFR) squad was dispatched at 1:09 p.m. for a report of a structure fire in a single-family residential area. When units arrived two minutes later, firefighters found the homeowner standing out front, who indicated she had just arrived home and found the house ablaze.
Crew members from Engine 5 entered the home and located the fire in the kitchen area. All units worked efficiently to attack the fire and contain it within the area of origin.
Once the fire was under control by 1:21 p.m., officials said the homeowner indicated she had three cats and two birds inside. The pets were recovered by CFR but perished in the fire.
Crews remained on the scene to clear and overhaul the kitchen and structure.
The cause of the fire was determined to be an electric range that had been accidentally left on and, after some time, had caught nearby food products on fire.
The homeowner was displaced for the evening of her own will, refusing to receive any additional assistance.
CFR reports $20,000 in estimated damages.
The American Medical Response team and Cheyenne Police Department supported CFR.