Firefighters from Washington D.C. rescued 6 dogs from a burning house in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.

Thanks to the efforts, the firefighters successfully saved all the dogs.

Vito Maggiolo, a public information officer, said that the DC Fire and EMS were called after a fire erupted.

The fire was in the basement of a 2 story row house.

Maggiolo said that 4 residents of the house evacuated the house by the time first responders arrived, but the dogs were still inside the house.

During an interview with the press, Maggiolo said:

When we search a building we look for people who are trapped and we also look for animals that are trapped. Animals are part of people’s families. They’re often very precious to them.

After the firefighters saved 5 dogs, a firefighter discovered a 6th dog, lying unconscious in the basement beneath a table.

A member of the department’s rescue squad carried the dog out and worked with other firefighters to revive it.

Talking about the incident, Maggiolo said:

When we search for victims in a fire, obviously our first priority is human life, but we will do whatever we can to get those animals to safety. We’re prepared for these kinds of events.

Some of the dogs are with the owners, but some of them were brought to a nearby animal rescue organization to be further evaluated by a veterinarian.