Residents jumped from a window to escape a fire at a building in Westport Wednesday night and firefighters and police officers rescued around 50 dogs and cats from an animal boarding facility in the building.
Fire officials were dispatched to the mixed occupancy building on Post Road East at 11:43 p.m. and found heavy fire on the second floor.
The building housed a dog and cat boarding facility on the first floor and basement as well as an apartment on the second floor, fire officials said.
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Firefighters attacked the fire with hoses.
Fire officials said the people on the second floor had escaped the fire.
The three occupants of the second-floor apartment woke when smoke detectors went off, but fire blocked the exit and they had to jump from a second-floor window to escape the fire, fire officials said.
The residents were treated at the scene by Westport EMS and did not need to be transported to the hospital.
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Westport firefighters and police officers rescued and removed dogs and cats from the boarding facility.
Westport Fire Chief Michael Kronick said two pet dogs belonging to residents of the apartment died in the fire.
The fire happened during spring vacation week for many so there were many animals being boarded and firefighters had to move them from one part of the building to an area where there was no smoke.
Fire officials said the dogs that were being boarded are safe and being cared for by the staff of Town House for Dogs.
Injae Choe said returned from a vacation in the Bahamas and was relieved that his 4-year-old maltipoo, Cookie, is OK.
He said he was scheduled to pick her up today and had no idea there had been a fire.
“I just walked in. I have no idea. I thought they had flooding or something. I knew there was a smell. I didn’t even bother to look up. Oh gosh I’m just glad that my dog is safe and sound,” Choe said.
He said they might have a veterinarian check Cookie.
The Westport fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire.
The Westport Fire Department urges residents to ensure that they have working smoke detectors in their houses because they save lives.
