Dog Blamed for Starting Parma, OH, House Fire

July 9, 2024
The dog is believed to have turned on the stove as it reached for treats, Parma fire officials said.
A dog going after treats is believed to have started a fire Sunday morning that claimed the life of a visiting canine.
 
“We do know that allegedly the owner kept dog treats over the stove. So it may have had something to do with a dog going up on the counter trying to get those off the stove,” Robert Bures, Parma Fire public information officer told WOIO.
 
“The really sad thing is people usually aren’t home. They know that the owners are gone and that’s usually when they get up there. They know they can misbehave. They know they can get up on the stove."
 
The home owner heard the commotion and tried to save the four dogs. Sadly, the one she wasn't able to get the one she was watching as she suffered burns on her feet and arms.
 
Bures urges people once they make it outside, don't return. There were reports that the woman went back in to look for the dogs.
 
The house also didn't have smoke alarms which he said would have given the woman an earlier warning about the fire.
About the Author

Susan Nicol | News Editor

Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.