Dog dies in fire, home destroyed

A fire that was accompanied by explosions from live ammunition destroyed a house near the Chevy Chase Country Club Thursday and killed a family dog before it was extinguished.

The family, away at the time, and two other dogs survived — one after it was pulled from the house and revived by firefighters. No other injuries were reported.

The fire, which broke out in the second-floor of a two-story home in the 3100 block of Linda Vista Road, was reported by a postal worker at 1:35 p.m., Glendale Fire Capt. Stuart Stefani said.

“A mail carrier on scene stated that there was a fire at the house and there were dogs and possibly ammunition inside,” Stefani said.

Engines from the Glendale, Pasadena and Los Angeles County fire departments responded to the scene and found the house already engulfed in flames, Stefani said. The blaze was extinguished shortly after 2 p.m.

The cause remains under investigation, but the damage to the house and possessions inside was estimated at $450,000, he said.

Because the fire had already spread, and due to reports of ammunition on scene, firefighters fought the fire from the exterior of the house only, Stefani said. Ammo boxes were later discovered on the premises.

“You have to back off and actually fight the fire from the outside, squirt water from the outside,” Stefani said.

The location of the house — recessed in a heavily wooded canyon — meant that firefighters had to run hoses down a steep, narrow driveway to attack the blaze.

“The guys were aggressive, they got on this real quick,” said Deputy Chief Robert Doyle.

Several family pets were in the house when the fire broke out. Firefighters found one dog roaming the property when they arrived. Another was pulled from the house after the fire was extinguished, placed on a stretcher and treated with an oxygen mask. That dog survived.

A third was confirmed dead in the house.

Family members arrived on scene after the fire was extinguished, but declined to comment.

The heavy foliage around the house made the fire a dangerous situation, officials said. Doyle added that the situation might have been much different if it had happened in July, when temperatures are usually considerably higher.