Eight people escaped from a fire in Beltsville, Md., injury free, thanks to their family dog and a smoke alarm that went off early Tuesday morning.
The six-year-old Doberman was outside when the fire erupted at the house at 4600 Naples Ave. According to Beltsville Fire Dept. spokesman Mark E. Brady, the dog's "ferocious barking and jumping on a rear sliding glass door" was what first woke the family up. They soon heard the fire alarm and the three adults and five children inside the house got out safely.
When firefighters from the Beltsville Fire/EMS Station arrived shortly after 6 a.m., flames were showing from both floors of the two-story home.
Officials said it took 20 minutes for 30 firefighters to knock down the bulk of the fire, which burned through the roof and caused about $250,000 in damage.
Not everyone escaped unharmed. One firefighter suffered burns to his upper body. He was treated and released at a local hospital.
The fire department's Citizens Services Unit and the American Red Cross will help the family, which includes a total of 9 children from ages 3 to 9, find temporary housing.
Fire officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire.
