A structure fire at 87 Collins Mill Road in West Gardiner destroyed a home Friday afternoon. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Courtesy of Mike Gross/West Gardiner Fire Department

WEST GARDINER — Three family pets died in a structure fire Friday afternoon, officials said.

Firefighters were called to 87 Collins Mill Road around 1:30 p.m. after a neighbor called the fire in, said West Gardiner fire Chief Mike Gross.

The neighbors were able to open the door and evacuate three adult dogs, but three puppies still in a kennel inside the home died in the fire.

None of the home’s occupants were home at the time of the fire and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Office of State Fire Marshal.

“The neighbors came home and noticed the smoke. They called it in, ran over to the home and contacted the owners who told them that their dogs were inside the home. They were able to get the dogs out by opening the front door, but they weren’t able to get the puppies out of the front room,” Gross said.

The home is a total loss and the fire department connected the family with the Red Cross.

Gross said that the fire department responded around 1:30 p.m. to the fire and were able to get it under control by 3 p.m. and left the scene by 4:30 p.m.

West Gardiner Fire Department received mutual aid from Gardiner, Litchfield, Randolph, Pittston and Farmingdale fire departments.