Child escapes Caldwell house fire; two dogs found dead

UPDATE: Caldwell, Idaho (10:31 p.m., August 18) Tuesday’s horrific fire destroyed a family’s home and multiple pets, but a teen who was home alone survived unharmed.

Around 5:03 p.m., Caldwell Fire received a call regarding a home fire. To stop the fire from spreading, several fire departments responded.

Manuel Olvera, a neighbor who lives nearby, stated, “For a while we were like what the heck happened.”

Watch as Leslie Solis, a neighborhood reporter, talks to neighbors about what they witnessed at the house fire scene:

When the smoke touched Olvera’s face, he and his father hurried into their car to assist, even though he wasn’t sure if it was a fire or a dust storm.

“The house was mostly smoke except for the garage,” said Olvera.

“Have any of you called 911? “Yes,” Olvera replied.

According to Eric Nye, fire chief for Battalion Caldwell, the house was completely destroyed after what began as a garage fire spread throughout it.

“We went directly into rescue mode,” Nye told them.

“We do have multiple animals that have died due to the fire,” Nye stated.

The fire claimed the lives of two birds, two dogs, and a bearded dragon.

Olvera remarked, “I can imagine how they must feel,”

The chief allowed only one team to examine the aftermath at the rear of the house, Idaho News 6.

“There were also two injured firefighters who were taken to West Valley with non-life-threatening injuries,” Nye stated.

The family was offered support through First Choice Homes and the Burnout Fund because of the complete loss.

The journalist who reported this story on-air used artificial intelligence to translate it to this platform. Our editorial staff checks all reporting for truth and fairness across all platforms.

UPDATE: August 18, 8:13 p.m.Unfortunately, the family’s pets—two dogs, two birds, and a bearded dragon—did not make it out alive.

Although the cause of the incident is still being investigated, investigators say it currently looks to have been an accident.

UPDATE (7:00 p.m. – 8/18): The Caldwell house fire was reported to have killed two pets.

The location of the residence’s other pets is still unknown.

A house fire that started on Roosevelt and Plateau Ave. in Caldwell on Monday was escaped by a youngster.

When several units and agencies arrived on the site, they discovered a burning residence.

Authorities are still searching for two birds, a bearded dragon, and another dog after a dog was discovered dead on the scene.

Watch as Leslie Solis, a neighborhood reporter, reports from the house fire site.

There were no reported human injuries.

Responding to the structure fire were the following agencies: Nampa, Middleton, Star, Wilder, and Caldwell.

First Choice Homes provided a burnout fund to assist the family in dealing with the complete loss.

Investigations about the fire are still ongoing, and Idaho News 6 will report any new information as it becomes available.