This contributed photo shows some of the extensive damage caused by the fire.

Battalion Chief Kevin Hawkins of the Roanoke Rapids Fire Department said firefighters received the call shortly before 3 a.m.

Flames shot from the rear of the house approximately 10- to 15-feet in the air. Hawkins said the fire was contained within 25 minutes.

The fire started on the back deck of the house in or around the area of a heat lamp placed in a dog house.

Occupants of the house, along with their dogs, got out safely and Hawkins said firefighters saved a cat.

It has not been determined whether the heat lamp shorted or fell onto material inside the dog house. “We can't stress the dangers of heat lamps because they can ignite if they fall onto material.”

The safest way to keep pets warm is to bring them inside if possible or use cedar shavings and blankets in a kennel without the use of a heat lamp.

While some items can be salvaged, Hawkins said the kitchen and bedroom were a total loss. The house had vinyl siding and when the initial fire started it got into the vinyl siding and then got into the house. The bedroom and kitchen were engulfed when firefighters arrived, he said.

Seven on-duty firefighters responded along with eight more off-duty personnel who arrived. Roanoke Valley Rescue Squad, Halifax County EMS and the Roanoke Rapids Police Department assisted, along with the American Red Cross.