A fire gutted a home at 162 State St., Batavia, this morning, claiming the lives of three cats and a dog.
The residents were not home at the time of the fire, which was reported by multiple callers to emergency dispatch at about 8 a.m. The residents arrived on scene shortly before 11 a.m., Chief Stefano Napolitano said.
An off-duty firefighter, according to the chief, was passing by the residence and spotted the flames. He stopped and was informed a person might still be inside the residence, so he attempted to gain entry to the house and was beaten back by flame and smoke.
Firefighters arrived on scene and quickly knocked down the flames, which had already consumed much of the interior of the house, and made a first and secondary search of the residence and found no people inside.
No firefighters were injured.
The cause and origin of the fire are still under investigation.
