Dog Rescued as Water Heater Malfunction Causes Fire at Lafayette Home

Firefighters rescued a family dog Friday morning after their water heater apparently malfunctioned and caused substantial fire and smoke damage to the home.

According to the Lafayette Fire Department, the incident happened in the 400 block of Woodrow Street just before 10:00 AM. The malfunctioning water heater caused the wood structure to catch on fire inside an outside storage closet, which is attached to the home. Once that ignited, the fire spread to the attic towards the rear of the home.

Firefighters say smoke was coming from the roof and the visible flames in the attic were quickley extinguished by them.

The dog was located and safely taken out of the home; no one else was home at the time of the fire, which has been ruled an accident.