Massive fire damaged Virginia Gardens home, dog killed

MIAMI – A massive fire ripped through a Virginia Gardens home early Thursday morning killing a dog trapped in the garage.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said they got a call about the fire at 4000 NW 59th Avenue around 4:30 a.m.

“Our units found heavy fire coming from the garage side of the house. The wind exacerbated the fire and made it a little more difficult,” said Miami-Fire Rescue Division Chief Marc Chavers.

The people who live in the home, two adults and three teens, were able to get out safely.

Chavers said the fire appears to have started in the garage where a Tesla was parked. Also in the garage was the family’s dog in a crate. It was unable to escape and died.

He said when firefighters arrived, the fire had already burned through the garage door and had damaged two cars parked in front of it. He added that there was significant damage to 40 percent of the home.

Investigators will be looking into whether the fire was related to the parked Tesla.