Gwinnett firefighters said a dog may have saved his family from being victims of an early Sunday morning house fire.
The fire heavily damaged a home on Shire Way near Lawrenceville, said Gwinnett Fire Captain Tommy Rutledge. Firefighters responded to the fire at about 4:20 a.m. and had it under control by 5.
No one was injured, but there was extensive damage to the walls, attic and roof of the two-story wood frame home.
A sleeping parent and child were awoken by the barking of the family dog inside the home.
The fire appears to have originated on the back deck of the home, where the homeowner had used an outdoor fireplace the night before, said Rutledge.
"We are fortunate that an alert K-9 was able to warn the sleeping occupants," said Rutledge. Smoke alarms inside the house had not yet sounded because the majority of fire was on the outside and in the attic.
The occupants, displaced due to the damage, were being assisted by relatives and friends, said Rutledge.
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