Menlo Park fire officials are investigating what caused the house fire that displaced a family and killed their two dogs.
Neighbors alerted the family living at 1304 Hill Ave. in the Belle Haven neighborhood that their home was on fire just before 2 a.m. on Monday, Deputy Chief Dan Coyle said. When firefighters arrived, flames were about 10 feet over the building, Coyle said.
The family had already evacuated from the home when firefighters arrived. The father was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, Coyle said.
The home is a “complete loss,” other than the garage, which had been converted to a living space, Coyle said. The rest of the home has major fire and smoke damage, he said.
The fire started in the kitchen, but the cause is still being investigated, according to Coyle.
The family was given a SAVE card, a $250 cash gift card from the fire department and was connected to the Red Cross for further assistance, Coyle said.