A Rio Rancho paramedic cares for one of three dogs that was saved from Wednesday’s fire. afternoon’s fire. (Courtesy photo)

A cat and three dogs, including a small poodle mix, suffered smoke inhalation during a structure fire at 2365 Agua Fria Drive Wednesday afternoon, but no one else was hurt.
Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue were dispatched at about 1:45 p.m. for a possible swamp cooler fire. When they arrived, they found a fire coming from the attic.
A vertical ventilation hole was cut into the roof above the fire, “and to their credit our crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire,” in about 20 minutes, Battalion Chief Ryan Floersheim told the Observer.
No people were hurt. Three dogs and a cat were saved and treated with specialized pet oxygen masks, which Fire and Rescue carries on its apparatus.
“All the animals showed a marked improvement, and all but one were turned over to animal control officers on scene,” he said, adding that one was taken to a local veterinarian.
The case remains under investigation.
The Observer will report more details when they become available.