WEST HARTFORD — A 74-year-old man was pulled unconscious from a burning house at 15 Brainard Road on Thursday afternoon and was rushed away in an ambulance, a fire official said.
Assistant Fire Chief Richard Wynn said a police officer noticed the smoke and called it in.
Wynn said the fire started in the basement of the single-family home. It burned through the floor and appeared to have burned for a while before it was reported.
Firefighters found the resident near the back of the house. He appeared to be trying to get out, Wynn said.
A German shepherd was found dead in the bathroom. Firefighters pulled a cat from the house and tried to save it by giving it oxygen, Wynn said.
Nancy Zenke said she was visiting a neighbor when she heard fire trucks and went outside. She saw thick black smoke coming out of the chimney and saw firefighters force their way through the front door to get inside.
Firefighters broke all the windows to let out the smoke. The interior is covered in soot.
By David Owens, Hartford Courant