Dogs rescued after house fire in Southampton

Two dogs were rescued after a house fire broke out in Southampton on Wednesday morning.

St Mary’s Firefighters were called to Quayside Road at around 11am, where they discovered smoke coming from a two-storey property.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus quickly brought the fire under control using hose reel jets. The blaze is believed to have started in the kitchen, before ventilation fans were used to clear smoke from the home.

A family friend of the homeowner raised the alarm after noticing smoke coming from the property and calling 999. On investigating, he found the dogs at the back door and broke the glass to reach them. One dog was unharmed, but the second was unconscious and breathing rapidly when firefighters arrived.

Fire crews administered oxygen to the animal at the scene, and after several minutes of treatment, the dog began to recover. Both dogs were later taken to a local vet by their owners as a precaution.

A stop message was received at 12:30pm, when crews left the scene and returned to station.

Crew Manager Colin Reeves said:

“We were told while on route that dogs were still inside the property. When we arrived, one dog was conscious and in good condition, but the second was unresponsive and breathing very rapidly.

Our crew quickly began oxygen therapy, clearing soot from her airway and supporting her breathing. After several minutes, she started to respond, opening her eyes and moving her head.

It was a huge relief for everyone involved, and we were able to reunite her with her owner shortly afterwards.”