🐶 Dozens of dogs rescued from business complex fire

🐶 One police officer injured by smoke inhalation

🐶 Cause of fire under investigation


FAIRFIELD (Essex) — One police was hospitalized helping to rescue dozens of dogs from a fire near a pet boarding facility just off Route 46 in Essex County.

Fairfield police were called to the Pio Costa Industrial Complex along Bloomfield Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Officer Stacy Chiarolanza.

The caller reported that heavy smoke was coming from one of the commercial buildings. When police officers arrived, they found a fire causing damage to the MR Convenience and Smoke Shop.

Dangerous smoke was spreading to the adjacent, connecting businesses including the K9 Resorts boarding facility that advertises itself as a "luxury pet hotel."

Fire near K9 Resorts in Fairfield 4/20/24 (Fairfield police)
Fire near K9 Resorts in Fairfield 4/20/24 (Fairfield police)
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Police officers from Fairfield, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, and Wayne worked quickly to rescue the dogs trapped inside the building.

One police officer suffered injury from smoke inhalation and was taken to the hospital, Chiarolanza said.

Firefighters from nine separate fire departments swarmed the scene. They rescued the remaining dogs from inside the boarding facility.

All 46 dogs were rescued and safe, according to Chiarolanza. Veterinarians were checking on the animals early Sunday morning as a precautionary measure.

SEE ALSO: These are the cutest pets in New Jersey

Dogs rescued from fire near K9 Resorts 4/20/24 (Fairfield police)
Dogs rescued from fire near K9 Resorts 4/20/24 (Fairfield police)
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The Associated Humane Society and K9 Resorts representatives were working to relocate the pets to other K9 Resorts facilities.

One woman on Facebook said she was "forever indebted" to the Fairfield police and fire departments for saving her dog Ben from the fire.

"Also thank you to the resort and @k9resorts_fanwood for having an effective an swift emergency action plan for dealing with every pet owners’ nightmare such as this. Cannot wait to get home and hug my boy," she said.

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