A fire broke out at a commercial property on the 400 block of 16th Street in West Palm Beach early Monday morning, killing four dogs and injuring another. The fire was contained to a wooden shed on the property, where several dogs were locked inside at the time of the blaze.

Investigation Underway

According to officials, West Palm Beach Fire Rescue and the police department responded to the scene around 7:05 a.m. During a subsequent investigation of the property, officials found additional animals living in unsafe conditions, including six cats inside a shipping container. All of the animals were being kept in squalor.

Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control has taken custody of the surviving animals, and officials say all are expected to recover from their injuries. The cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the animals’ living conditions remain under investigation.

City records show the property was cited just days earlier, on June 11, 2026, by the West Palm Beach Code Compliance Division for multiple maintenance violations.

Original reporting: WPBF West Palm Beach — read the source article.