Updated: 4:45 a.m Friday Feb 14 2025
Bristol firefighters rescued three pit bulls after a smoke alarm alerted a homeowner of a fire started in their Bristol Township home Thursday morning.
Firefighters were dispatched just after 6:45 a.m. to a reported dwelling fire in the 4900 block of Beaver Dam Road in Bristol Township. They arrived on scene four minutes later to find a single-family two-story home with smoke billowing from all sides and flames showing on the first floor.
The homeowner was trying to get back into the burning home to rescue her three dogs. However, police on scene moved her to a safe location. Firefighters arrived on scene and went into the smoke-filled home located and rescued the three dogs on the second floor. One dog was unconscious when brought out. A Bristol Twp firefighter administered oxygen using a pet oxygen mask until the dog regained consciousness, fire officials said.
Smoke alarms installed by Third District Fire Co approximately four years ago alerted the resident about the fire, said Bristol Township Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito.
The fire started near a first floor outlet, was contained to that area and quickly extinguished, Third District Fire Company Chief Howard McGoldrick said.
Credit: Third District Fire Company
The Red Cross is helping locate temporary housing for the homeowner, McGoldrick said.
Officials said traffic had to be diverted from the area for a little more than an hour.
Both McGoldrick and Dippolito pointed to Emily Rillings who donated pet oxygen masks to fire departments throughout Bucks County in 2018.
“We have used them several times” to save pets in the past, officials said.
Credit: Third District Fire Company
We blitzed the area with smoke detectors after a fatal fire two doors down from this one, McGoldrick said, that took the lives of two residents a little more than four years ago.
Bristol Township Fire Rescue, Croydon, Edgely, Levittown 2, Bristol Consolidated, Bucks County Rescue Squad were on the call with the William Penn Fire Company covering for Third District if additional calls came in.
The fire is under investigation by the fire marshal’s office