5 days ago
Dog saves Upper St. Clair family from house fire, officials say
A family in Upper St. Clair was displaced after a fire at their home on Wednesday morning.
The fire chief said everyone in the home on Old Meadow Road got out thanks to their furry friend.
"It was totally engulfed, couldn't see much other than flames," neighbor Julia Schillo said. "Just scary."
It was around 4:45 a.m. on Wednesday when she got a call from her neighbor giving her the warning.
"It was smoky, embers flying everywhere," Schillo said.
Upper St. Clair fire crews were already on the street. Chief Ted Hale said the two adults, a 1-year-old and their dog inside evacuated before they arrived.
"We arrived with heavy fire from the entire structure," Hale said.
However, a part of the house had collapsed, making their attack more difficult, and they had to go down the road to get water from a different hydrant.
"The first hydrant that we tried to connect to was inoperable," Hale said.
Eventually, they got the fire under control in about 45 minutes. At this time, the cause is unclear, but neighbors told KDKA that fire crews told them they believe it started on the back porch.
"We're just glad everybody got out. That's the biggest thing we're concerned about," Hale said.
Hale credits the family dog with making that happen, waking them up before flames came into the home.
"I almost cried. Penny is a little staple in our neighborhood. She's out seriously every single day, lying in the yard, stop and talk to her, loves other dogs," Schillo said.
Man's best friend was just using her senses in all the right ways.
"I think dogs just are here to protect us, and they love their humans and would do anything for them, and she certainly did her job," Schillo said.
The Allegheny County fire marshal is investigating.
