Pet cat saved from house fire thought to have been started by family's dog

The dog, known as Herbie, is thought to have somehow caused the blaze by accidentally turning on the toaster. A 12-year-old, who was inside the house at the time, heard the smoke alarm going off and alerted the rest of the family

A pet cat has been saved from a house fire that the family dog is suspected of accidentally starting.

The dog, known as Herbie, is thought to have somehow caused the blaze by accidentally turning on the toaster at a property in Margate, Kent. A 12-year-old, who was inside the house at the time, heard the smoke alarm going off and alerted the rest of the family, allowing them to evacuate to safety.

Unfortunately, when the family left the home, their black cat, known as Mush, didn’t make it out with them. Luckily, fire crews found Mush, who was hiding and had become unconscious between two pillows, and carried him to safety.

The cat, who was unresponsive, was resuscitated using a pet oxygen mask. The fire was so severe that Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) needed two fire engines, breathing equipment, and hose reel jets to extinguish the blaze.

The fire has caused serious damage to the family’s home, rendering it uninhabitable, which has meant that they’re now living in temporary accommodation. The family said: "We didn't realise that Herbie jumping up could result in so much damage, and that pets could accidentally start fires this way. So we want to share what has happened to raise awareness."

KFRS Area Manager for Customer Safety, Suzanna Chisholm, said: "The swift actions of this young man undoubtedly made a huge difference to the outcome of this incident, saving his pets and preventing further damage to his home. It goes to show how important working smoke alarms are.

"You don't necessarily expect a dog to be able to start a kitchen fire - but it can and does happen. To help reduce the chance of electrical fires we advise everyone to switch off and unplug electrical items off when not in use, which will also prevent pets, or children, accidentally turning them on.

"People can also close their kitchen door when not in the room, if they have one, to make sure pets don't jump up and knock switches, like cooker knobs." KFRS revealed that in the last three years alone, they have responded to 28 kitchen fires that were accidentally started by pets.