2 dogs, 1 bird dead in mobile home fire in Punta Gorda

Firefighters responded to a deadly mobile home fire that killed three pets at the Eagle Point community in Punta Gorda Thursday. The home appeared to be unlivable when our crew was at he scene.

Fire Chief Ray Briggs of City of Punta Gorda Fire Department says no people were inside the home during the time of the fire, which was reported around 4:15 p.m.

“These things happen, so I’m just thankful we had a quick response time and just a good effort,” Briggs said.

Animal services confirmed two dogs and a bird died inside the home. A third dog was receiving medical attention and ran away. Crew members searched for that dog during the response, and it was not found Thursday.

Neighbors we spoke to told us the homeowner is an woman in her 90s. They says she left town to go visit her daughter in Sarasota, so she was not inside during the fire. Her neighbors were happy for that.

Unfortunately, the pets were, and neighbors are also helping to look for the dog that ran away.

“Everybody knows Avis,” Joyce Hassig said. “We’ll be driving around for a while.”

Hassig says Avis is the woman who lives in the mobile home that caught fire and won’t have a place to call home when she returns to Eagle Point.

“It’s going to be a bad, bad thing,” Hassig said.

The mobile home was fully engulfed in flames when crews arrived. The fire was put out, and the cause remains under investigation.

Firefighters told us the homeowner was notified about her home and her pets.

Neighbors hope community members will keep an eye out for missing dog Trinket, who is a longhaired Dachsund.

“Awful, awful. That’s how quick your life can change,” Hassig said.