photo by: Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical

Lawrence firefighters respond to a fire at a house in the 800 block of North Elm Street on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.

A household’s pets were rescued Friday afternoon when Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical responded to a fire in North Lawrence.

Firefighters arrived to a structure fire at 839 Elm St., about 1:30 p.m. Friday, where they found a kitchen and back porch ablaze at a one-story home, according to a news release from LDCFM. Two occupants of the home had already evacuated the building, but they said the pets were still inside.

After extinguishing the porch fire, some firefighters continued inside, where the kitchen and attic space were still burning, while others searched the house for the pets, which were found and taken to safety. Some of the pets received oxygen from LDCFM, the release stated, but it did not address any other details about the pets’ conditions. The Lawrence Humane Society was called to help provide services for the animals. The Red Cross is assisting the residents.

One firefighter reported a minor injury, but the residents said they were unharmed. More than 20 firefighters responded to the call, including two battalion chiefs. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Damage estimates were not included in the release.