A manufactured home was destroyed by fire today, killing two dogs and displacing the resident.

According to Mike Cotton, deputy chief with South Whidbey Fire/EMS, the blaze began at 12:30 p.m. in the Wheel Estates community off Bayview Road. The sole tenant, an unidentified woman, escaped but her black lab and a small terrier were not so fortunate.

“We tried to save the dogs but they didn’t make it,” Cotton said.

The animals are believed to have died from smoke inhalation, he said.

Efforts to fight the fire were initially hampered by a lack of manpower and access to water, but once those issues were resolved firefighters were able to extinguish the flames quickly, officials said.

“We got control of the fire pretty quickly once we got access to water,” said Wendy Moffatt, division chief for the district.

The house, however, sustained significant damage.

“Mobile homes are tough to fight,” Cotton said. “They have a tendency to burn and burn fast.”

The blaze likely began in the kitchen, and spread quickly to the living room and a carport outside. Cotton said the home was a “total loss.”

It is unclear if the woman sustained injuries; she was being treated by medical personnel at the scene, but district officials said they were having difficulty communicating with her.

The Red Cross was present and helping the woman secure a place to stay for the night.