A dog was killed in an early morning house fire in New Brunswick.

Fire officials say the blaze broke out around 2:30 a.m. on Somerset Street.

Authorities say the lone resident was not home at the time the fire started.

Officials say the flames began upstairs and quickly spread. Firefighters were unable to get the fire under control in time to save the dog, believed to be a lab/pit bull mix.

Crews were able to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby homes.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.