An early morning fire in Putnam County claimed the life of a woman and a family canine. At around 3 a.m. Sunday morning, the Baxter Fire Department and Putnam County Fire Department received a call for a house fire in the 500 block of Buffalo Valley Road. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered one adult male outside of the home and began rescue efforts that were unsuccessful for the woman and dog in the home. The official cause of death will be determined by the State Medical Examiner's Officer while the fire is still under investigation. Fire Chief Matt White released the following statement regarding the loss of life: "The loss of life is tragic in any instance and we are saddened to lose one of our community members. I am proud of the efforts of our firefighters and our thoughts are with the family during this heartbreaking time."