Lakeland house fire that killed over a dozen animals under investigation

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Published October 23, 2026 8:35 AM EDT

The Brief

    • Polk County Fire Rescue responded to an early morning house fire on Glen Road and Harrelson Road in Lakeland.
    • Firefighters brought the flames under control in under an hour, preventing any human injuries.
    • Officials confirmed that around 15 animals died in the blaze, and state investigators are probing the cause.

LAKELAND, Fla. - More than a dozen animals were killed early Friday morning in a house fire in Lakeland, according to Polk County Fire Rescue.

Lakeland house fire

What we know:

Firefighters with Polk County Fire Rescue were dispatched at 1:45 a.m. to a house fire located near Glen Road and Harrelson Road in Lakeland. Crews battled the flames for roughly 42 minutes before bringing the blaze under control at 2:27 a.m., according to the fire department. No people were hurt in the incident, but about 15 animals were killed. 

Fire marshal investigation

What we don't know:

The State Fire Marshal is currently investigating what started the fire. Officials have not yet released the cause of the fire or specified the types of animals that died in the home. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Polk County Fire Rescue, who provided details about the call and fire response, as well as the State Fire Marshal. 

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