6 dogs from Woodstock-area house fire believed to have died in home

Six dogs that were unaccounted for after a devastating house fire Friday near Woodstock are believed to have died in the fire, officials said.

A fire broke out in a two-story home Friday morning at the 200 block of South Queen Anne Road that left the house considered a complete loss. Firefighters were able to save four dogs from the basement, but six dogs were believed to be on the upper floors and were unaccounted for during the fire, district spokesperson Alex Vucha said.

As of Saturday, investigators were unable to search through the rubble of the unstable home, but the six missing dogs are believed to be there, Vucha said in a text message to the Northwest Herald.

“We can’t definitely say, but it is believed they perished in the fire,” he said.

Fire crews arrived within six minutes and found a large two-story house “fully involved with heavy smoke and flames, with portions of the structure already collapsed,” Vucha said.

Incident command confirmed that no people were in the house shortly after crews began their operation.

Fire personnel rescued four dogs through a basement door, Vucha said. The rescued dogs “inhaled a significant amount of smoke and sustained minor burns but are reportedly in good health,” Vucha said.

Firefighters brought the fire under control within 90 minutes, but it is expected that hot spots and flare-ups will continue for an undetermined amount of time, Vucha said.

The building and its contents are considered to be a complete loss, and damage estimates are being evaluated, Vucha said.

The American Red Cross arrived at the scene and is assisting the homeowners. The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District, with help from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, is investigating the cause of the fire.