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SEEKONK - Two families were left homeless Friday morning by a fire that raced through a County Street house, killing a pet dog and five birds.

"Oh my God. I can't even believe this is happening. My dog...I lost everything," said a weeping Susan Saucier, who lived in an apartment where the fire started on the first floor of the two-story house.

Saucier's dog, Sunny, died but firefighters recovered her cat, Sammy, whose fur was singed, and her dog, Angie. Another cat ran from firefighters and a third cat has not yet been found.

The fire was reported about 8:40 a.m. at 239 County, near Howland Street. Saucier and a couple who live on the second floor were home at the time but managed to flee safely.

The house was heavily damaged by the blaze and the residents have been displaced. The American Red Cross was helping the families' immediate needs with food, lodging and clothing. "I heard and explosion in my bedroom. A loud pop," Saucier said, adding that she tried unsuccessfully to put out the fire.

Saucier lives with her boyfriend, Russell Governo, who was not home at the time and owns the home. Governo's daughter, a local high school student, was in school at the time.

The couple's three birds were killed and two birds on the second floor also perished.

"We lost everything," Saucier said.

Fred Haney, 58, and his wife Carolyn, 60, were alerted to the fire by Saucier, who ran upstairs. Fred Haney ran downstairs and tried to put out the fire, then attempted to rescue pets before all were driven from the house.

Haney, who is diabetic and lost all his medicine in the fire, was saddened by the loss of the pets and property, but was thankful none of the residents was hurt.

"I just don't have anything left. We'll just have to start over, that's all. Nothing bothers me as long as I got her," Haney said, referring to his wife.

Haney said the house shook from the explosion. He said he and his wife will stay with relatives.

Fire Chief Alan Jack said fire investigators narrowed the origin of the fire to the first-floor bedroom in Saucier's apartment, but the cause of the fire was under investigation.

He said the fire started in an area around an elaborate, decorative headboard which had lighted shelves. But the chief added that it was too early to say whether the cause was electrical. The state Fire Marshal's office and local police were assisting local fire investigators who were still at the scene late Friday afternoon.

Part of the difficulty in determining a cause was the utter devastation to the house which sustained heavy fire, smoke and heat damage on the first floor and smoke and heat damage on the second floor.

"There is just so much damage. Everything kind of fell on top of other stuff," Jack said, adding that wall plaster disintegrated because of the intense heat.

When firefighters arrived, Jack said, "heavy fire" was shooting out of a bedroom window on the first floor. It spread to the front, enclosed porch of the house and a portion of the second floor before firefighters were able to knock the flames down.

The fire was extinguished in less than 45 minutes, Jack said.

"The fire was actually rolling over their heads. They were able to knock it down," Jack said, praising firefighters for saving the house from completely burning down.

Because the house is older, Jack said the fire could have spread through the walls of the second floor walls and to the roof, had it not been for the quick action of firefighters.

"The guys did a heck of a job catching it. No doubt we saved the house," Jack said.

Firefighters were busy working to extinguish the fire and searching for pets at the same time. One pet cat was seen running from the blaze and a third was unaccounted for, Jack said.

One firefighter suffered a minor injury when he slipped; another suffered minor smoke inhalation. Neither firefighter had to be taken to a hospital, he said.

An East Providence engine company assisted local firefighters at the scene.

Police closed County Street, a major road running between Rehoboth and East Providence, in the vicinity of the fire for about 3 hours.