A morning house fire in Otho Wednesday claimed the lives of dogs that were inside the home. The fire at 605 N. Highway St. was reported at 8:57 a.m. The house was a total loss, according to Otho Fire Chief Marty Smith. Firefighters from Otho, Duncombe and Moorland all responded to extinguish the blaze. However, there wasn’t much they could do to save the house. “The thing was completely involved when we arrived,” Smith said. “All you can do is try to knock it down the best you can.” While the fire destroyed the house, firefighters were able to spare the house directly to the south, which is just a few feet away from the burned property. “We were fairly lucky,” Smith said. “It started in the north side of the house and we were able to control it from spreading to the south side of the house.”