Image courtesy of FireDepartment.net

Emergency crews responded to a house fire in Bouton Thursday morning, after the local fire captain happened to be passing by.

At around 9:40 a.m., Bouton Fire Captain Karl Harris said he drove by the house located at 116 West 4th Street and noticed the fire. He immediately radioed for assistance, and soon firefighters from Bouton, Woodward, and Perry arrived at the scene. The residents of the house were not home at the time, but the family dog was inside. Responders were able to rescue the pet, and Dallas County Emergency Medical Services treated it for smoke inhalation. Harris was happy to report that the dog is now doing fine. No one else was injured in the incident.

The blaze was controlled quickly, though there was an estimated $60,000 worth of damage. Harris said there was heavy smoke damage throughout the house, and fire and water damage in the room of origin. He added, the cause of the fire was an electrical wiring malfunction in the south wall of the structure. Harris thanked all the agencies who responded, which also included the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, Alliant Energy, Xenia Rural Water, and MidAmerican Energy.