North Carolina: Sheltie named Sparky alerts family to fire, credited with saving 10 lives but lost his own

NORTH CAROLINA -- Fire investigators are trying to determine what sparked a late night fire at a group of townhomes that left 10 people homeless and one dog dead in Raleigh Thursday night.

The fire roared thru the building on the 7400 block of Leesville Road around 11:30 p.m. but everyone managed to escape thanks to a little dog ironically named Sparky.

RIP little Sparky

When the fire erupted, Chris Paine’s miniature Sheltie alerted him by barking and running around the apartment.

Paine went to see what Sparky was upset about and he saw flames on the rear porch. He ran back to wake his fiancé and her son.

As the three fled, they didn’t forget their neighbors. The Hassel family says they were awakened by Chris’s fiancé banging on their door. Another family awakened by Paine and his fiancé also got out steps ahead of the flames.

 

One woman with tears welling up in her eyes told CBS North Carolina, “That dog saved all of us.”

Although Sparky saved 10 lives, he lost his own. After alerting everyone to the flames, he ran and hid. His body was recovered later by firefighters and respectfully covered with a blanket provided by a neighbor.

The people who lived in the townhouses lost pretty much everything – everything material that is. They all still have each other thanks to a little dog named Sparky.

Fire officials said at least two of the homes were totally destroyed in the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

GoFundMe: Paine Family Fire Recovery Fund

(WNCN - March 25, 2016)