Pet dies in morning fire in Galesburg

One pet died in a house fire in Galesburg this morning, according to a news release from the Galesburg Fire Department.

Galesburg firefighters responded to a structure fire in the 900 block of Hawkinson Avenue on Sunday, April 28 at 9:04 a.m. The response included all three stations and the 11 personnel on duty. When they arrived, firefighters found smoke and flames coming from a northwest window of a single-family residence. Battalion David Farrell established command and the Fremont Street crew took a preconnected fire hose and entered the back of the home, extinguishing the fire. The Central Station crew searched the residence for victims, fire extension and pets while the Brooks Street crew ventilated a north window and conducted a second search of the home.

The homeowner’s dog escaped before the fire department arrived. The homeowner’s cat was unharmed, but their bearded dragon died in the fire. There were no other injuries.

The damages to the home are estimated to be $18,000. The cause of the fire was determined to be unintentional by Galesburg Fire Investigators. An emergency callback of off-duty fire personnel was initiated to provide emergency coverage for the city.