GEORGETOWN, Texas (Talk1370.com) -- 75 dogs are dead after a late-night fire at a Georgetown pet boarding facility, officials said Sunday.
Georgetown Fire Chief John Sullivan said that the department received multiple 911 calls around 11 p.m. Saturday reporting the fire at the Ponderosa Pet Resort, in the 2500 block of North Austin Avenue.
Sullivan said crews were on scene in four and a half minutes; at that point, the facility was full of smoke from the fire.
None of the 75 dogs that were staying at the facility survived, Sullivan said. No one else was inside at the time.
"We know each dog that died in this fire was a cherished member of someone’s family, so our heart goes out to all those who were affected by this tragic fire," said Sullivan. "We believe the dogs at the facility likely died due to smoke inhalation, not the flames from the fire. We are working as quickly as we can to include the investigation, so pets can be returned to their grieving family members as soon as possible."
Sullivan said investigators are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire. According to local and national codes, sprinkler systems are not required in a facility of this size and usage.
"It's hard to accept the fact that we showed up in such a quick fashion yet were unable to save even one life in this building," said Sullivan. "The conditions and the smoke allowed it to be such where it was not tenable. That's difficult for us to wrap our brains around."
Sullivan said investigators are looking at all possible leads, including whether the fire could have been intentionally set.
The owner of the facility has been cooperating with authorities, city officials said, and will be contacting family members to retrieve their deceased pets.
Listen on the Audacy app
Sign Up and become a Talk 1370 Insider
Follow us on Facebook & Twitter