Story and Photo by Mary O’KEEFE

County Fire responded to a call in the 2000 block of Rancho Cañada in La Cañada that came in at 3:56 this morning, Tuesday.. Smoke and fire showed upon arrival. One occupant was outside when deputies arrived, and informed them two others were in the house. Deputies spotted a woman at a window of the house and assisted her to safety through the window. Firefighters broke down the front door and found a man there who was unresponsive. Paramedics initiated advanced life support measures, including CPR and use of the Lucas device (mechanical CPR). Despite their ongoing efforts for about 30 minutes, the man succumbed to his injuries. The family dog also perished in the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.