SALISBURY — A fire just outside of Salisbury left one person and their dog dead on Sunday morning, according to Rowan County Fire Division Chief Deborah Horne.

The fire began sometime around 4:30 a.m. in the 900 block of Mahaley Road. When crews arrived on scene, they found heavy smoke coming from a single-wide mobile home. Firefighters began to fight the blaze, eventually encountering the deceased inside the home.

Neighbors confirmed that the homeowner’s dog, known as Sergeant Shane, died in the fire but said that they had not yet been told of the condition of the homeowner themselves.

A release from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said that deputies were notified of the death and are investigating the fire and the circumstances surrounding it. Agents from the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting with the sheriff’s office’s investigation.

The cause of the fire and what may have caused the death were not immediately available. More information will be provided as it is released.