5 dogs die in Union County house fire

Five dogs were killed in a house fire in Union County Friday afternoon.

The fire broke out around 5:45 p.m. at a home on the 9000 block of Kerr Road, which is just off of Brief Road West in Indian Trail. Firefighters said that the five dogs in the home were killed.

The homeowner was not at home at the time of the fire.

Heavy smoke could be seen coming from the home, which appeared to be very heavily damaged.

Firefighters from Mint Hill, Idlewild, Robinson and Midland volunteer fire departments in Cabarrus County, and several Union County stations, all responded to the call.

Officials say it appears the fire started in the living room area of the home, but said the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

This story was originally published April 15, 2017 at 1:45 PM with the headline "5 dogs die in Union County house fire."