MARTINSVILLE, Va. (rbs news now) — The fire that destroyed the Martinsville Animal Shelter and killed three dogs has been ruled accidental, according to findings released December 31 by Martinsville Fire Marshal Andy Powers.

Powers said the investigation determined the fire originated from a failure within a supplemental heating appliance located in the kennel area of the shelter.

The conclusion followed multiple site visits, interviews, document reviews and a fire pattern analysis.

At around 1:05 a.m. on December 23, authorities got a report of a brush fire at 300 Clearview Drive, the location of the city’s animal shelter.

When first responders arrived, they observed heavy smoke and flames coming from the roof of the building.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, but the structure was deemed a total loss.

Three dogs housed inside the shelter were found deceased as a result of the fire.

Copyright 2025 by Romero Broadcasting System, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, rewritten, or redistributed.

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ORIGINAL STORY — December 23

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (rbs news now) — A fire early Tuesday morning destroyed the Martinsville Animal Shelter building and resulted in the deaths of three dogs, according to Martinsville Acting Police Chief Chad Rhoads.

Emergency crews were dispatched on December 23 to the area of the animal shelter at 300 Clearview Drive after a report of a brush fire.

Upon arrival, responders discovered the fire was coming from the shelter building itself and that the structure was fully involved, Rhoads told rbs news now at the scene.

Rhoads said the Martinsville Fire Marshal will handle the investigation and determine whether assistance from outside agencies is needed.

“This is something that’s never happened,” Rhoads said. “We’re just going to have to work with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the SPCA, and our partners, and we’ll see where we go from here.”

Rhoads confirmed that three dogs housed in the building died as a result of the fire.

Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including the Martinsville Police Department, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Martinsville Fire & EMS, Collinsville Volunteer Fire Department, Henry County Public Safety and Martinsville Electric.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Copyright 2025 by Romero Broadcasting System, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, rewritten, or redistributed.