Man and 2 Dogs Killed in House Fire While Wife and Kids Were Away: ‘Someone Lost Their Husband and Their Father’

Mar. 15, 2025

Los Angeles Fire Department truck (stock image).Photo:Getty

Getty

A family is left without their father and pets after their California home went up in flames.

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 andCBS 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.

“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.

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.

“So, that can take longer depending on how clear that picture is,” he added.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto 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.”

source: people.com