Jan. 15--If not for the quick action of her next-door neighbor, Emma Minor might have lost more than her South Street home to fire on Thursday.

Adeline Pepper was returning the Minors' garbage carts to their backyard at 316 E. South St. -- something the South Street neighbors do in the other's absence -- when she saw flames licking the single-story wood frame home.

The clothes washer-sized home belonged to Emma -- a brown and white pointer -- who had managed to escape the doghouse but was still enclosed in her small fenced yard. Pepper unplugged a heat lamp, opened Emma's gate to let her out and then called the Fire Department.

Firefighters from Stations 1 and 3 answered the call. Six firefighters rushed to the back yard and began to knock down the fire.

"It took us about a minute to put it out," Fire Capt. David Andrews said at the scene.

A heat lamp used to warm the dog apparently caught fire and spread to the dog's bedding and dwelling, he said.

"There was heavy fire and smoke damaged throughout the structure," Andrews said.

It was the first doghouse fire of the year for first-shift firefighters at Stations 1 and 3, said Firefighter Heath "Pete" Conn.

However, doghouse fires are not uncommon, Conn said. Particularly in cold weather when pet owners are trying to keep their best friends warm outdoors.

"Usually the problem is an extension cord not rated for use with a heat lamp or heater," Andrews said. "That was not the case in this fire. The extension cord was adequate but the heat lamp caught on fire."

Unless you are around to monitor a space heater, you should not leave one on.

To keep outdoor pets warm, veterinarians instead recommend a well-insulated and well-sealed doghouse that keeps the pet dry and off the cold ground. They should also have access to clean, unfrozen water.

Contact Info: Dogs Deserve Better, Inc. • P.O. Box 23 • Tipton, PA 16684 • Toll Free 1.877.636.1408 • 814.941.7447
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