Pet Dog Saves Owner by Barking During Fire... Early Suppression Prevents Spread

The dog suddenly barked and woke its owner when a fire broke out in the utility room
Early extinguishing with a fire extinguisher... The flames did not spread further

A pet dog played a decisive role in saving its family during a fire that broke out at dawn in an apartment in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.

According to the Changwon Fire Department on July 10, a fire occurred at around 3:37 a.m. the previous day in the utility room of a ninth-floor apartment in Jinhae-gu, Changwon.

At the time, the family was in a deep sleep, but their pet dog, "Mongsil" (a Pomeranian), suddenly started barking, which woke them up.

After getting out of bed, a resident witnessed the fire near the kimchi refrigerator in the utility room and immediately extinguished it with a household fire extinguisher. Because the dog barked, the resident was able to discover the fire early and, thanks to this, was able to put it out quickly with the extinguisher. The flames did not spread further.

The fire authorities determined that the kimchi refrigerator and part of a storage cabinet were burned, resulting in property damage of about 100,000 won.

An official from the Changwon Fire Department stated that the pet dog detected the fire early and alerted the residents to the danger, and the resident's quick use of a fire extinguisher prevented major damage. The official added, "This case clearly demonstrates the importance of an initial response to fire and the necessity of residential firefighting equipment."