Humphreys County K-9 dies after vehicle catches fire

WAVERLY, Tenn. (WSMV) - A Humphreys County police dog has died after a fire started in the vehicle it was left in during a stop.

On Wednesday morning, the deputy went into the Humphreys County Courthouse and left the car running for the K-9 to stay inside.

While the deputy was in court, according to the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle had an electrical short that led to a fire in the dashboard area, filling the car with smoke. The 5-year-old German Shepherd, named Ciro, was inside the vehicle at the time.

Upon exiting the building, the deputy attempted to get the dog out of the car and suffered burns on his arms and hands. Waverly Fire and Police also responded and assisted with rescue efforts.

The fire caused the electric locks to malfunction, so deputies broke out the windows on the vehicle and attempted to pry the security bars off the window frames to rescue the K-9.

The dog was pulled from the vehicle and transported to Waverly Animal Clinic, where it was pronounced dead due to smoke inhalation, according to the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, doctors treated and released two deputies from Three Rivers Hospital after suffering second-degree burns and smoke inhalation in the rescue attempt.

HCSO said the vehicle was equipped with an electronic alarm system that would alert the deputy’s pager and sound an audible siren. However, the alarm did not function, and the vehicle was destroyed.