Tot dies in Spokane fire, dog huddled at his side

SEATTLE — A toddler who died in a house fire in Spokane, Washington, was found with his dog and teddy bear next to him. Authorities believe the dog tried to protect the boy, a spokesman for Spokane’s fire department said Saturday.

The dog, a terrier mixed breed, also died in the fire that started about 11:30 p.m. Friday, said the spokesman, Brian Schaeffer.

Three other children and two adults escaped from the blaze.

The dog stayed behind in an attempt to protect the boy, firefighters believe, and the fire was so intense that it melted the metal on the frame of the boy’s bed, Schaeffer said.

Jerry Atabelo, who lives across the street, said he saw the flames and heard screaming as he was getting ready for bed. He yelled for his wife to call 911 and ran outside to hook up his water hose.

As people screamed that a child was still in the house, neighbours dragged the hose across the street and sprayed water through a window to try to put out the fire, Atabelo said.

The battery in the house’s smoke detector had been removed and it was not working, Schaeffer said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.