A fire broke out at a home in Long Beach, New York, while several members of the family were asleep. Fortunately, their two-year-old mini Goldendoodle, Chase, noticed the fire and started barking, waking everyone in the household and allowing them to safely escape. One family member, a 28-year-old son, had to climb through a window onto the roof to get out.
At first the family thought that the noise was due to an intruder before they saw the flames. Chase is now being credited with alerting everyone in time. Assistant Fire Chief Rick DiGiacomo confirms that everyone in the family was able to get out without injuries.
Fire crews also helped in rescuing an elderly couple next door, including evacuating one neighbor who uses a walker. Officials note that thousands of people are saved each year thanks to smoke detectors and pets. The family and firefighters are using the incident to stress the importance of having working alarms and being aware in preventing tragedy.