Four Pets Die In Fire On Meister Road

Four pets -- one dog, two cats and a rabbit -- died during a house fire Wednesday in the 5700 block of Meister Road.

A neighbor called the Mentor Fire Department at 11:54 a.m. because they saw white smoke rising from the ranch house. Mentor firefighters were on the scene six minutes later, Battalion Chief Terry Szabo said.

The firefighters were able to contain the flames to the back bedroom where the fire began and two adjacent bedrooms. They had the fire under control by 12:16 p.m., Szabo said.

Unfortunately, four family pets were in the house during the fire and they died of smoke inhalation.

No people were in the house when the fire began. Gene Taylor, the home's owner, said he was at work in Solon when he heard about it.

Taylor has children and grandchildren and -- even though the pets had been with his family a long time -- he tried to be grateful for what the family still had.

"We didn't lose any kids. That's the main thing," he said.

Investigators are still working to identify what caused the fire. They have already ruled out arson, Szabo said.

The fire caused about $100,000 worth of damage. Most of the damage was done to possessions in the house and not the building itself, Szabo said.

Consequently, the building is still structurally sound and won't have to be torn down. Though the house will need some work before it can be occupied again.

In the meantime, the American Red Cross has helped set the family up with temporary living accommodations.

Szabo echoed Taylor's sentiment that it was difficult to lose a pet but even worse to lose a child. However, he added, "The conclusion is all life is precious."