Atascadero dog alerts sleeping owner to house fire

December 15, 2015

A young dog pawed and scratched its sleeping owner early Sunday morning, possibly saving the man’s life by doing so. The dog alerted Atascadero resident Kevin Buchanan to a fire that was burning in his home.

The fire broke out at 3:47 a.m. in the front bedroom of a single-story house at 5280 Dulzura Drive. Candles left burning caused the blaze, according to the Atascadero Fire Department.

When firefighters arrived, they found a heavy fire and smoke coming from the front bedroom. The blaze was spreading to the other areas of the home.

Firefighters restrained the fire to the bedroom, but moderate to severe smoke and heat damage occurred in the interior of the house. Fire crews contained the fire within 20 minutes and remained at the scene for approximately three hours to salvage, overhaul and investigate.

No one suffered any injuries.

The fire caused about $15,000 in damage to the home and destroyed about $3,500 of belongings. Firefighters prevented about $200,000 in structural damage, according to the fire department.

A total of 18 firefighters responded to the blaze. Cal Fire and Paso Robles firefighters helped battle the blaze. A breathing support unit from Templeton, a San Luis Ambulance and two Atascadero police units also responded to the fire.

The Atascadero Fire Department asks residents to extinguish candles before going to sleep at night. Fire officials also instruct residents to have working smoke detectors and to change the batteries twice a year.