Woman escapes house fire in north Houston

Woman awaken by dog after early morning fire

HOUSTON – It was a close call for a Houston firefighter's relative when her house caught on fire in the middle of the night. She was able to get out just in time thanks to her puppy.

Tiffany Cunningham is thankful to be alive after she awoke to smoke and flames in her home.

"I am happy, I am alive, I am so fortunate," said Cunningham. "My dog woke me up and as soon as I sat up, I smelled something. I sat up and looked at the security camera, and I could see the ceiling melting."

Around 2:45 a.m. Saturday, Houston firefighters responded to a house fire on Ash Oak and Droddy.

When they arrived, they found the two-story home with heavy fire in the back of the house and in the attic. Firefighters even had to cut a hole in the roof to evacuate some of the thick smoke.

"Unfortunately she told me she had smoke detectors, but the batteries just died recently," said Cpt. Ruy Lozano of the Houston Fire Department. "Fortunately for her, her dog Lolly barked and woke her up, and she was able to get out safely."

But for Lozano, this fire sparked a little too close to home.

"It was a little tough today. When I got the page, I recognized the address. Shortly after the page, I get a phone call from my niece. This is my niece's house," said Lozano. "I am glad she is safe. I am not happy with her about her smoke alarm's not operating, but right now she is safe and that is good enough for me."

Cunningham was the only one home when the fire started and said she owes her life to man's best friend.

"I don't know what I would have done, thank God. I was the only one here, and I was able to get out in time," said Cunningham. "It is all stuff, my family is safe, that is all I really care about."

Houston firefighters are still trying to figure out what caused this fire, but the initial investigation shows it was an electrical fire.