CLEVELAND, Ohio - A 44-year-old man died after going back into his burning house to save his pets during a fire Monday night in Cleveland’s Stockyards neighborhood.

Firefighters responded just before midnight to a residence on West 59th Street and Denison Avenue. The man and his 68-year-old mother both escaped the flames, but he went back inside to save his animals, said Lt. Mike Norman, a spokesman for Cleveland’s fire department.

Firefighters rescued him from the burning home and EMS transported him to MetroHealth Medical Center, where he later died.

As of Tuesday, crews recovered some cats from inside the home but were still searching for two dogs.

Weather conditions complicated firefighting efforts.

“This was a wind-driven fire,” Norman said. “Intense flames spread rapidly.”

The

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