A Mississippi father has died in a house fire as he tried to rescue his family’s dogs, which were trapped inside, according to officials.
The Jones County Fire Council responded to the burning home in Soso at about 12:40 a.m. on Monday. There were three adults inside the home at the time of the fire, Khanh Van Duong, 56, his wife and their daughter, according to NBC affiliate WDAM.
An investigation found Duong alerted his wife and daughter to the fire and told both to escape the house, which firefighters said saved their lives. The pair weren’t injured during the fire.
Duong then tried to save the 10 dogs trapped inside the house, but ended up getting caught in the smoke, WDAM reported.
Firefighters tried to rescue Duong, but they were unable to save him, and all 10 dogs, including eight puppies, also died in the blaze. One firefighter suffered minor injuries and was treated by paramedics.
The home was heavily damaged in the blaze, according to firefighters. Officials didn’t reveal the cause of the fire or say where it had started in the house.
Insurance comparison website The Zebra said 2,620 people have died in house fires across the U.S. in the past five years. In 2018, the national average was 2.5 civilian fire deaths and 9.8 injuries per 1,000 fires in the U.S.
The Zebra also stated that an average of 358,500 homes in the U.S. experience a structural fire each year.
Jones County Sheriff’s Department (JCSD) Sergeant J.D. Carter told WDAM: “The home was heavily involved in fire upon arrival of deputies and firefighters.
“The investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family during this tragic loss of their loved one.”
Newsweek has contacted the JCSD for comment.
In November, an 11-year-old ran into a burning Maryland apartment to save his two-year-old sister.
A sparking outlet in a bedroom caused an electrical fire to start in the two-story apartment building in Salisbury.
La’Prentis Doughty, 11, managed to get himself out of the burning building before realizing that his sister Loyalty, 2, was still inside.
Doughty then ran back inside the building and came out with the young girl and later told WBOC: “If I didn’t save my sister I would’ve been mad at myself because I could’ve saved her easily and I would’ve been mad at myself.”
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