A dog named Foxy began "barking like crazy" in the middle of the night to alert her family that their Santa Ana, California home was on fire.
Seven family members, all adults, escaped the smoke and fire at 1200 S. Garnsey St. due to the dog's rousing barks. The residents heard the 2-year-old mix's barks outside the home just before 2 a.m.
"She began barking like crazy," resident Vera Mendez told City News Service. "It woke up my son and he woke all of us up.
"By the time I woke up, almost three rooms were involved. We were lucky we got out. All of us, we all barely escaped."
Foxy even received credit from the Orange County Fire Authority with this tweet: "2 yr old family dog named Foxy woke up the family & she is the hero."
One man suffered smoke inhalation, but was not hospitalized, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. The fire was knocked down in about 25 minutes.
A cause was not immediately determined. The fire caused about $200,000 worth of structure damage, according to fire officials.
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SA - Cause under investigation. 2 yr old family dog named Foxy woke up the family & she is the hero. Onscene TV has video. — OCFA PIO (@OCFA_PIO) January 21, 2015
On Tuesday, another Southern California family was alerted to a home fire by two dogs. Three people escaped the home in Van Nuys and one person suffered minor burns. Residents could have been killed if not for the dogs, firefighters said.
