Dog Killed in Washington Township Fire

A Washington Township family lost their dog in a fire Wednesday, according to Fire Chief Jamie Powell.

There were no other injuries. 

Firefighters from the township, Westwood, Hillsdale and Woodcliff Lake were able to quickly extinguish the fire, but the home was already so filled with smoke by the time they arrived that the windows were totally black, Powell said.

"You could smell it but you couldn't see it," Powell said of the smoke.

There was nobody in the Van Emburgh Avenue home when the fire started at about 3 p.m., according to Powell.

The cause of the fire had not yet been officially determined Wednesday afternoon, but Powell said it could have been something left cooking unattended.

The kitchen took the brunt of the damage, but there was smoke damage through the entire house., Powell said.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Jim Leggate at Jim.Leggate@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.