Smoke inhalation killed a dog in a fire near Coupeville last week.

Fifteen firefighters from Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue responded to a residential fire at 7:28 a.m. Friday on Fort Casey Road, according to Deputy Chief James Meek.

No flames could be seen upon arrival, but Meek observed smoke emitting from the roof, gutters and eaves, and noticed the doors and windows were hot. After forcing a door open, it took at least an hour for his crew to get what he described as a “stubborn” fire under control, as the blaze had spread to the attic.

The home sustained extensive smoke, fire and water damage, Meek reported.

Although the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Meek said the fire patterns inside the home originated near the kitchen. He added that the home’s occupants had not been using the fireplace and nothing had been plugged into the wall in that area other than an oven.

A male juvenile inside a trailer about 10 feet from the home was the only individual on the property at the time of the fire. Meek said a neighbor reported the fire and knocked on the front door to verify the home’s emptiness — the juvenile’s parents arrived later on.

The fire did not damage the trailer, and no people were injured. Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue recovered the family’s dog inside the home, which suffered asphyxiation due to smoke. Meek was unsure of the dog’s breed but recalled it weighed about 40 to 60 pounds.

Meek said the family received aid from chaplains and the Red Cross.

Ultimately, the neighbor’s effort to check whether there were occupants at home was “instrumental” in fighting the fire, Meek said.

“We were able to confirm when they got the son out of the trailer that there was no one inside the house, which changes a lot for us as a fire department and whether we’re looking for someone that’s possibly in there,” he said. “So they did a great job and the crews did a great job.”