Jacksonville family loses beloved pet in house fire

Investigators are working to learn what sparked a house fire that killed a Jacksonville family's dog.

Firefighters say the fire started in a backroom in the home on Habana Avenue, then spread to the porch where a propane tank was stored.

The propane tank exploded, accelerating the fire, Jacksonville Fire Rescue Chief Mike Lesniak said.

Kdompy Touch escaped the home with two of his dogs, but a third didn’t make it out.

“I said, ‘Oh Jesus, I don't have insurance,’” he said. “I lost the house. I don't know how I'm going to live.”

The family showed Action News Jax behind their house to see the charred remains of the back two bedrooms and patio.

“I got so scared because last year my grandpa got an open heart surgery,” Alexis Touch said.

She said her aunt asked her to check on her grandfather after he didn’t return a text.

“When I drove by, and I saw all those cop cars and all those ambulances, I about lost everything,” she said.

Sarah Soper lives across the street from the Touch family.

“First I saw the smoke then it started getting blacker and thicker,” Soper said.

Video shows smoke billowing from the roof. It took firefighters approximately 15 minutes to get the fire under control, according to fire rescue.

Alexis Touch said her grandmother’s favorite dog, Jasmine, wasn’t able to escape the fire, but she’s grateful her grandfather wasn’t hurt.

“They’re the most amazing people I know, so I really hope everything, you know, works out the way it’s supposed to,” she said.

A Red Cross spokesperson said the agency is assisting the family.

The couple's daughter also made a GoFundMe to help them get back on their feet.

Cox Media Group