California Dog Saves Family by Barking to Alert Them to Garage Fire

"Give this dog an award," the Orange County Fire Authority wrote in an Instagram post of the heroic dog

NEED TO KNOW

• Fillmore, a black-and-white German short-haired pointer, barked until his family was alerted to a fire that started in their garage at 4:30 a.m. in Tustin, Calif.
• “Give this dog an award!” the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday, April 15
• The family and the majority of the house were safe, and only the garage and the family’s vehicles were damaged

A heroic pup saved his family after a fire broke out in their garage in Tustin, Calif.

Fillmore, a black-and-white German short-haired pointer, barked until his family was alerted to a fire that started in their garage at 4:30 a.m., the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) shared in an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, April 16.

"Give this dog an award!" the OCFA wrote in the caption, noting that Fillmore "refused" to stop barking until his family awoke.

"Realizing something was wrong, the homeowners looked out the window and saw a flickering light," the OCFA continued in the caption. "They first feared a neighbor’s house was on fire, but when they went outside, they discovered their own garage engulfed in flames."

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The family used garden hoses to subdue the flames until the fire department arrived and "quickly" extinguished the flames, saving the rest of the house from catching on fire. Only the garage and the family's vehicles were damaged.

"OCFA Heavy Fire Equipment Operators then removed the vehicles to allow safe access to extinguish the remaining hot spots," the caption concluded. "Before leaving, firefighters gave Fillmore some well-deserved attention!"

Orange City Fire Department also assisted in fighting the fire.

In the photos, Fillmore sits proudly on the grass guarding his home, and later poses with a firefighter. Videos the OCFA shared from the fire show the alarming blaze they worked quickly to put out on the family's garage.

"I think we know it was because of Fillmore," Fillmore's owner Tom Dalis told NBCLA. "Because Fillmore was barking at about 4:15 a.m. He normally doesn't bark. He kept barking. We kept telling him, 'Fillmore, quiet, quiet.' He just kept barking and I said, 'Maybe there's something out there.' "

Dalis confirmed to the outlet that he lives in the home with his wife and 90-year-old mother-in-law. He told the outlet he was grateful his family was safe, and that Fillmore was certainly rewarded for his heroism.

"We got him plenty of treats," Dalis told the outlet about the pup.

Though authorities suspect the incident was an electrical fire, the official cause remains under investigation, according to NBC Los Angeles.

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