Michigan couple dies in burning house trying to save dogs

KALKASKA TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A couple has died trying to save their two dogs from their house in northern Michigan that was engulfed in flames, authorities said.

Kalkaska County sheriff’s officials said the fire broke out early Thursday morning at the Kalkaska Township home of Brian and Sheryl Curry. The Currys, both 56, initially escaped to safety but went back inside the burning home to rescue their dogs, officials said.

Firefighters and deputies said they tried to save the couple but had to pull back because of dangerous conditions. Their bodies later were found in the house.

The dogs also died, but other animals survived, including a goat and a miniature horse that were outside, according to Bonnie McKinney, an administrative assistant for the sheriff’s department.

The cause of the fire, which levelled the home, is under investigation, officials said.