SALISBURY — Three people were displaced and a family’s dog was found dead after a fire on Wednesday afternoon.

The fire began in the home, located in the 200 block of Windy Hill Drive, around noon, according to a fire official on the scene. Nobody was in the home except for the dog. By the time firefighters arrived at the home, fire was showing from every window of the building except for one and the home was engulfed.

The fire was caused by a malfunctioning propane heater in the home, a spokesperson for the Red Cross said.

Deputies were called to the home after an altercation between the homeowner and firefighters, said the official. The homeowner threatened to run over a firefighter with their vehicle. Deputies talked to the homeowner but did not detain them. The official did not say what caused the altercation.

During the firefighting efforts, firefighters were notified by communications that the owner said that their dog was in the home. The dog was eventually found dead in the back of the home, according to the Red Cross spokesperson. The family also owned a cat, but the cat was not found. It spent a majority of the time outdoors, so the cat could have been outside of the home at the time of the fire.

Locke Fire Department was the first on the scene and had command. Assisting departments included Salisbury, Woodleaf Volunteer, West Rowan Volunteer and Cleveland Community Volunteer fire departments.