Rogers Fire Destroys Garage, Dog Dies

A Sunday afternoon fire damaged a home on East Lilac Street in Rogers.

Firefighters responded to a report of a fire in a garage at approximately 12:30 and Capt. Scot Mason said crews were able to bring the fire under control in about 30 minutes. The garage was destroyed, as were two cars inside the garage and a car outside.

Mason said the fire started in the garage but fire investigators were trying to determine the cause. The car outside the house, a BMW, was damaged when the garage door collapsed on it and the fire spread to the car, Mason said.

The attic also collapsed during the fire, but fire crews were able to contain the fire before it did too much damage to the house itself. The house did sustain major smoke damage throughout, Mason said, and about a quarter of the entire structure sustained fire damage.

The homeowner’s family was having lunch when the fire started and were alerted to the fire by neighbors, who saw the flames. Mason said when the neighbors came by to tell the family about the fire, the family didn’t believe them until someone opened the door to the garage and was met by flames.

Mason said the family was able to get out of the house uninjured. One family dog escaped through the back door and another was rescued by firefighters who entered the smoke-filled home.

A third dog was found dead in a bedroom. Mason said smoke was so thick in the house after the fire that firefighters had very low visibility.