A fire was started at a house in Leek, Staffordshire after a Border Collie jumped up and accidentally switched on an electric hob.
The dog’s owner, a 33-year-old woman, was not home at the time and had left a plastic cake container on the stove which ended up catching on fire. The dog had been shut in the kitchen as the owner went out.
The Staffordshire fire service were called to the property on January 3 on 1.42pm after neighbours reported the sounds of fire alarms and smoke coming out of the house.
The occupant managed to save her dog before the fire crew arrived but she had to be taken to Macclesfield Hospital for smoke inhalation. The firefighters were also able to rescue a hamster from the property.
Station manager Carl Mason said: “Fortunately this property had working smoke alarms which meant we were alerted to the incident at the earliest opportunity.
“Although we understand why the resident went back into the property to rescue their dog we strongly advise people not to go inside a burning building, to call us and wait for crews to arrive. Thankfully the lady only suffered minor smoke inhalation and her injuries were not more serious which could easily have been the case. We encourage residents to get out and stay out.”
He added: “This is not the first time we have been to a fire caused by pets jumping up at the cooker and we ask the public to ensure there are no flammable items on the hob and if possible not to leave pets in the kitchen. If they have to shut animals in the kitchen it is important to isolate all appliances and ensure they can not be turned on.”
