DogExpress
CROOKED RIVER RANCH, Ore. (KTVZ) – A dog jumping on her bed awakened a Crooked River Ranch resident early Monday morning, alerting her to escape a fire that destroyed her two-story log home, a fire official said.
Crooked River Ranch Fire & Rescue responded shortly after 2 a.m. to the fire alarm in the 12000 block of Southwest Lords Place, Assistant Fire Chief Sean Hartley said. Crews arrived to find the two-story log home engulfed, with flames spreading to a neighboring fence.
Crews staged a defensive attack to protect exposures that included the fence, several vehicles and a shop, Hartley said.
The only person at home when the fire broke out was awakened by one of her three dogs, the fire official said.
“Her bedroom is in the upstairs loft,” Hartley said. “The dog kept jumping up on the bed. She got up, looked downstairs, saw the fire and got out.”
She was able to escape unhurt with the three dogs, but several cats were unaccounted for. (Hartley said she had left the back door open, so it’s quite possible they fled.)
Hartley said fire crews remained on scene for several hours, performing overhaul and mop-up work.
It’s unknown if the home’s smoke alarms were functioning properly, Hartley said. The American Red Cross was called in to help the displaced residents.
The cause of the fire was under investigation. The home was considered a total loss, with an estimated value of the structure of about $207,000, not including contents.
Mutual aid assistance was provided Redmond Fire & Rescue, the Cloverdale Rural Fire District and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
“A working smoke alarm significantly increases your chances of surviving a home fire,” Hartley said. “It is recommended that: smoke alarms be tested periodically, replace batteries twice a year, install smoke alarms on every level of the home, and replace smoke alarms that are over 10 years old.”
Source: ktvz, Not edited by DogExpress staff
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