Woman, 4 dogs die in house fire - Northwest Florida Daily News
The smoke detector worked, but without an exit plan, Maria didn't make it out. Water shuttle operations were needed due to the rural location of the home.
MIAMI (AP) - A 71-year-old woman and her four dogs died in a house fire, authorities said.
Maria T. Pratt became trapped in her wood-framed home seconds after calling 911 about 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Pratt and her husband heard a fire alarm and he asked her to call authorities while he tried to determine the source of the fire, Miami-Dade Fire rescue Lt. Shanti Hall said.
"He began to put the fire out with a garden hose," Hall said. "By the time he went back for her, the house was already engulfed in flames."
Pratt's husband, Joseph S. Pratt, was not injured. Twelve cats and a dog were still missing.
Fire officials said it took them 15 minutes to reach the house because it was located on two acres in a rural part of Miami-Dade County. Water had to be shuttled to the site because there were no fire hydrants nearby.
The home was destroyed. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
