Smoke and flames engulfed a three-story house on Evanston Avenue in Independence Tuesday afternoon.
Firefighters were sent to the home just before 1:30 p.m. and had to break down the front door to get inside.
"I'm surprised it's still standing," said Curt Sevage, assistant fire chief. "It's burning really well."
Three people and a pit bull lived in the home. None of them were inside when the fire started.
Police said an officer shot and killed the dog after it came toward him growling and barking and aggressively showing its teeth. It also tried to attack a fire fighter who was hooking a hose up to a fire hydrant.
"It was attacking us," Sevage said.
Animal control issued a ticket to the resident.
Neighbors told police the dog frequently ran around the neighborhood and had attacked other animals.
The fire spread throughout the entire house, causing about $100,000 in damages.
"I could see smoke coming up when I was shoveling ice," said William Gary Smith, a neighbor who lives about half a mile away from the burning home. "I looked up and saw a big, black cloud."
