Woman dies while trying to rescue dog in Pickering house fire, officials say

A woman was killed while trying to rescue a dog during a house fire in Pickering Wednesday morning, officials say.

Pickering firefighters said the blaze broke out shortly after 4 a.m. in the area of Altona and Kingston roads.

Firefighters said three people were inside at the time, and all escaped, but a woman went back in to find her dog.

Officials said she was later found inside the home and was pronounced dead. The dog also did not survive.

There’s no word on what caused the fire, but officials said it’s believed it began on the back deck of the home.

The Ontario Fire Marshal was called in to investigate.