Dog saved by firefighters after blaze breaks out in Washington home

Firefighters from Washington and Birtley attended the home at The Terraces in Columbia at just before 7pm tonight.

The owner, a woman, had already managed to leave the property after realising something was wrong.

However, her pet dog Alfie was trapped inside. The 18-month Shih Tzu was rescued by firefighters, wearing breathing apparatus, and given oxygen therapy.

The blaze was caused by a fault on an electrical fuse board in the kitchen.

The kitchen was destroyed by the fire. The rest of the property was smoke damaged.

Crew Manager Aidan Crawley, said: "Both the lady and the dog are okay. The lady had realised there was something wrong and evacuated the property.

"The bungalow was fitted with a smoke alarm which sounded, which highlights just how important it is for homes to be fitted with smoke alarms."