Feb. 07--PANAMA, N.Y. -- Firefighters credited man's best friend with saving its master from his burning house in Chautauqua County on Thursday morning.
An elderly man who lives alone at 541 Goshen Road in Panama was awakened by his dog, alerting the man to a fire that had broken out inside the two-and-a-half-story house, Panama Fire Chief Vernon Sheldon Jr. said. Both got out of the house safely as a fire that started on the first floor spread to the upper levels of the house, Sheldon said.
Firefighters from Panama, Clymer, Ashville, Busti and Sherman in New York, as well as Bear Lake and Columbus in Warren County, were sent to the burning house after the fire was reported at 12:06 a.m. Thursday.
The temperature was minus 7 degrees at the time of the fire, and firetrucks and the air packs used by firefighters who entered the house were freezing up, Sheldon said.
The fire appeared to have been set off by a wood stove in the house.
It caused extensive damage to the second floor and attic. The first floor also received smoke and water damage, Sheldon said.
Firefighters remained on the scene until 8:20 a.m. Thursday.
Copyright 2014 - Erie Times-News, Pa.
