A fire gutted the Fort Myers house of “American Idol” contestant Vonzell Solomon late Thursday, sending flames and a dark cloud of smoke into the night as she rushed to rouse her neighbors and call for help, authorities said.

Solomon, also known as “Baby V,” escaped the blaze without injury. But her small white dog, Minnie Mouse, died in the fire.

“Vonzell’s doing fine,” the singer’s manager, Jim Osburn, said. Solomon wasn’t at the house Friday morning; he asked reporters to give her privacy, but thanked “everyone for their concern.”

Fire investigators early Friday picked over the remains of the Canton Street house, with its blackened walls and patches of roof reduced to a gummy mass. They said an electrical problem sparked a blaze in the attic that ripped through the house, leaving an estimated $200,000 in damage.

Thanks to Cecelia for the article!