A family escaped a fire unharmed early Sunday morning thanks to a persistently barking puppy.
Gwinnett County fire crews were dispatched to a two-story home in the 5500 block of Patrick Court in Peachtree Corners around 4:20 a.m., and the family of seven was safe outside when they arrived, Capt. Tommy Rutledge in a news release.
A man said his family’s 5-month-old puppy kept barking and woke him up. He then heard noise coming from the garage, opened the door from the kitchen and saw the fire. He woke up the rest of the family and they all escaped unharmed.
Crews quickly handled the fire, which was contained to the garage and the attic directly above it, causing extensive damage there, Rutledge said. There also was major damage to the vehicle in the garage. Two cats were found safe in the home.
The cause of the fire appears to be accidental, Rutledge said, adding that the smoke alarm did not go off at first because there was no smoke in the house yet.
Two adults and five children have been displaced from their home, but they are fortunate.
“The occupants are safe because of an alert family pet,” Rutledge said. “It is not uncommon to hear about household pets who alert people to danger.”
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