4 Dogs Die in Sunday House Fire in Rochester Hills

Four dogs died Sunday in a house fire at the 2400 block of W. Auburn Road in Rochester Hills, according to an incident report from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

According to Rochester Hills Fire Chief Ron Crowell, the call came in at 4:30 p.m. Sunday with reports of smoke coming from the basement of the home. Crews arrived to find heavy smoke coming from all the windows and the occupants outside, according to Crowell. Crews attempted to enter the house to extinguish the fire, but were forced to back out due to the amount of items in the house, Crowell reported.  

According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, the residents of the home, both 61, were able to get out unharmed, but four family dogs were not able to escape and succumbed to the fire. 

Crews from Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills and Rochester responded to the fire, which destroyed the two-story house, Crowell indicated. 

The fire prompted crews to shut down Auburn Road between Crooks and Adams for about five hours, according to Crowell.

Because of the structure being unstable, the house was demolished and a cause hasn't yet been determined, according to Crowell, but he doesn't believe the cause of the fire to be suspicious.

This story has been updated at 8:40 a.m. to include additional information and photos from Rochester Hills Fire Chief Ron Crowell.