Space heater caused house fire that killed dog in Coeur d’Alene

A space heater left too close to a sofa caused a fire that destroyed a Coeur d’Alene home and killed a family’s dog Tuesday night, fire investigators determined.

The home on North 19th Street erupted in flames shortly before midnight Tuesday. In a news release, the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department said investigators wrapped up the scene on Thursday and determined the fire was accidental.

An occupant of the house had been sitting on the living room couch with a space heater pointed at the couch, then went to bed without turning off the heater, according the fire department.

The family evacuated after noticing the fire, but the dog died and its body was recovered by firefighters. The family’s cat also went missing.

The fire department said all flammable items should be kept at least 3 feet from space heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves and radiators.

People also should opt for space heaters with stamps of approval from testing laboratories, as well as automatic shutoff switches that will turn off the heaters if they are tipped over, the fire department said.

Heaters should be plugged into wall outlets only – never extension cords or power strips, the fire department said.