MOUNT VERNON — An early Easter morning fire at an Mt. Vernon home claimed the life of a family dog.

According to fire reports, shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday, the fire department received multiple reports of smoke coming from a home in the 200 block of North Sixth Street.

Reports indicated the residents were not home but the family dog was inside.

A few minutes later firefighters arrived on the scene and reported heavy fire showing. Ameren was subsequently called and Jefferson Fire Protection District responded for mutual aid.

Just before 3 a.m. the scene was cleared and firefighters returned to their stations.

According to the MVFD report, the dog was later found deceased and parts of the single-story home suffered major damage.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.