A dog and a cat were killed, and one dog was rescued, in a fire in Yucca Valley Tuesday night. According to County Fire Captain Donnie Viloria, residents of a duplex in the 7100 block of Murray Lane smelled smoke about 9:45 p.m. and discovered a fire and heavy smoke in the garage. Family members were not able to gather up their two dogs and cat before being forced out of the home. Arriving firefighters from Yucca Valley, Yucca Mesa, Joshua Tree, and Morongo Valley aggressively attacked the stubborn fire, which was burning in concealed spaces of the building. Viloria said he found a small Chihuahua dog in respiratory distress, but the other mixed-breed dog and a Siamese cat were found dead in the home from smoke inhalation. The Chihuahua was successfully revived using a canine oxygen mask. The damage to the duplex is estimated at over $100,000. The cause is under investigation, but a dirt bike under repairs in the garage exploded for unknown reasons shortly before the fire was reported.
