A Dupo home was damaged by fire on Friday and two dogs inside perished in the blaze.

The Dupo, Cahokia, Prairie du Pont and Columbia fire departments responded about noon to a structure fire at 600 North Main Street, which is located on the corner of Young Avenue.

The fire apparently originated in the garage of the home and was electrical in nature, Dupo Fire Chief Kurt Johnson said. The fire eventually extended into the living quarters. Firefighters were able to respond quickly and knock down the flames in a short amount of time, he said.

“We got a good stop on it,” Johnson told the Republic-Times.

The owners of the home, Steve and Tracie Amsden, were at work when the fire occurred. The damage to their home was extensive enough that they are at least temporarily displaced, Johnson said. The American Red Cross is providing assistance to them.

Johnson said the structure used to be an old gas station before it was converted years ago into a house with a very large garage.