A Fourth of July celebration for local fire departments was cut short, after a fire broke out in a Wesleyville home.

The fire broke out inside of a home at 2218 Willow Street around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Firefighters arrived at the scene, to find heavy smoke and flames pouring out of the back of the house.

According to Wesleyville Deputy Fire Chief Joe Ball, it appears that the fire started in the kitchen, causing extensive damage to the home.

Firefighters worked quickly to douse the flames with water and were able to prevent the fire from spreading to neighboring homes.

No one was home at the time of the fire.

Rescuers tried to revive two dogs that were pulled from smoky home, but they passed away.  Deputy Chief Ball says two pet birds also died.

All of the fire departments involved in the battle were getting ready to participate in the Fourth of July parade in Lawrence Park.  As it was about to begin, they were called into action.

With the fire happening on the Fourth of July, the summer heat presented extra challenges for firefighters.

"We really got to watch the heat, because we carry probably an extra 75 to 100 pounds of gear,” said Deputy Chief Ball.  “Heat exhaustion, heat stroke, stuff like that we really have to be careful of."

As of right now, investigators are still trying to figure out exactly what caused the fire.