Residents came home Wednesday to their Zeigler Avenue home in Butler and discovered their kitchen had been on fire and both of their dogs had died.

One of the two residents of the duplex at 365 Zeigler came home just before 7 p.m. and made the discovery, said Chris Switala, Butler fire chief.

“One occupant came home and found smoke in half the duplex, but the fire was out,” Switala said.

Both dogs were found dead near a door, he said.

The fire started at the stove in the kitchen and damaged the kitchen. Smoke damage was found throughout the first and second floors, he said.

“We checked to make sure everything was extinguished and ventilated the smoke out,” Switala said.

The VA Butler Fire Department assisted the city firefighters.