Two adult dogs and a litter of 19 days-old mastiff puppies were killed in a Van Buren County fire on Sunday morning, Oct. 26, a Bangor Community Fire Department official said on Monday afternoon.

While 21 dogs were killed in the fire, two dogs escaped, according to Bangor Fire Chief Derek Babcock. The fire is believed to have been caused by a heat lamp that ignited nearby straw, Babcock said.

"We want to stress the importance of using heat lamps. If you're going to use those to heat any animals, make sure they are properly secured, tied up to the ceiling, or screwed and anchored to the wall," Babcock said.

Firefighters were dispatched to a home in the 50200 block of M-43 in Arlington Township, east of Bangor, after a fire was reported by a person driving by. The 40-by-40-foot shed used

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