A dog was rescued from a burning house on the west side of Lake Tapps Tuesday, according to East Pierce Fire & Rescue.
The fire at a two-story home in the 5500 block of 175th Avenue Court East was reported about 1:25 p.m. Crews arrived moments later but could not immediately go inside because there weren’t enough firefighters on scene.
Federal regulations require at least four firefighters be present – two to go inside the house and two to remain outside in case a rescue is needed.
Once more firefighters arrived and they were able to enter crews rescued a dog that was unable to make it out of the house on its own. The dog was reported to be scared but uninjured.
A girl who was home at the time of the blaze was able to escape on her own with two dogs.
A crew from Valley Regional Fire Authority assisted with dousing flames at the 2,450-square-foot house and in dry grass behind the home, which also began to burn.
An estimated cause of damage was not immediately available.
The fire appears to have started in the back of the house or on the patio, but it’s unclear what caused it.