Two residents escaped injury early Sunday when a fire broke out at their home near Buellton, but a family dog died in the blaze.

Santa Barbara County firefighters were dispatched at about 3 a.m. to the residence in the 6400 block of Highway 246, according to Fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni.

Upon arrival, they found a fire burning in the living room and heavy smoke throughout the single-family home, near Domingos Road about six miles west of Buellton.

Crews were able to quickly knock down the flames and prevent them from spreading to the rest of the structure.

The residents were awakened by the smell of smoke, and were able to escape through a back door, Zaniboni said.

He said they were attempting to put out the fire with a garden hose when firefighters arrived.

The residents told firefighters their dog was missing, and it was found dead in a back bedroom, Zaniboni said, apparently the victim of smoke inhalation.

Investigators were dispatched to the scene, but the cause of the blaze remained unknown, he added.

He noted that the home was not equipped with smoke detectors.

— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.