Blind Dog Sparks Fatal House Fire, Dies Alongside Canine Sibling
A blind dog’s accidental mistake ignited a devastating fire in Northern California, destroying a family’s home, killing two pets and leaving a mother and her three sons facing the difficult task of rebuilding.
According to a GoFundMe campaign, the family’s 9-year-old blind German shepherd was trying to reach a box of burrito wrappers when the dog accidentally switched on the stovetop. The fire, which occurred last Thursday in Rough and Ready, spread rapidly across the ceiling and into the attic.
“Jody is raising this fundraiser for Martina and her three sons after a devastating house fire destroyed the home… Martina and Jared are separated, but many of Martina’s belongings and the boys’ things were still in the home when the fire happened,” the fundraiser states.
Although everyone in the family survived, the damage was overwhelming. Their two beloved dogs were killed, the kitchen was destroyed, and smoke and soot contaminated the rest of the house, making the property and its contents unusable, according to the GoFundMe.
Martina’s sons lost most of their belongings, including clothing, toys and other personal items.
The fundraiser is intended to help Martina and her three children replace essential items such as clothes, beds, toys, furniture and other daily necessities. It will also help recover Martina’s personal belongings that remained in the home.
So far, the campaign has collected $3,000 toward its $4,000 goal.
A similar incident in Maryland destroyed another family’s home during the summer. In mid-July, a dog repeatedly jumped onto a kitchen counter and accidentally turned on a toaster. Nearby combustible materials caught fire, ultimately burning the entire home and killing three pets.
“12 weeks ago we lost it all and walked away with – quite literally – only the clothes we were wearing, nothing else. It is from the help of all of you that we were able to eat, buy clothing and move from the hotel to this apartment and have the necessities,” the Maryland family wrote in its GoFundMe campaign.
