Officials: Dogs started fire that severely damaged home near Spring Grove

A pet dog apparently started a fire that left a home uninhabitable near Spring Grove on Sunday, officials said.

The Sunday fire began when a pet dog or dogs in the house attempted to eat a pizza that had been left in a box on the stovetop, Fox Lake Fire Protection District Chief Ed Lescher.

“The investigators were able to determine the knobs on the stove were turned on,” Lescher wrote in an email. “They assume that one or both of the dogs turned the knobs on as they were jumping up to the stove to get to the pizza.”

Two pet dogs perished in the blaze, which caused significant damage to the house. No human injuries were reported, but the home was deemed uninhabitable.

Lescher said the home is in an area without hydrants, so water had to be shuttled in.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up for the family who live in the home. Neither the family nor the person sponsoring the fundraiser could immediately be reached on Tuesday.