A couple from the Sint-Michiels area of Bruges (West Flanders) have their two pet dogs to thank for the fact that they were able to escape a fire at their home unscathed. The couple were awoken by their dogs’ barking after a fire had started in an outbuilding of their house. They were able to get out in time and alert the Fire Service. The Fire Service was able to ensure that the fire remained contained to the outbuilding.
The fire started shortly after midnight in the outbuilding of the house on the Lijsterbeekstraat.
The two residents of the house were asleep. Fortunately, they were awakened by their dogs Janis and Lena.
Céline De Broek woke up just before her partner. "I currently have difficulty sleeping because I have broken my foot. I realised straight away that something was wrong because normally Janis and Lena never bark. I woke my boyfriend Niels up and we went to take a look. From the bathroom and the dressing room I saw an orange glow and I realised that a fire had broken out. Niels started to extinguish it himself, while I called the Fire Service”.
Fire-fighters soon had the blaze under control and the fire didn’t spread to the main building.
Céline and Niels are deeply grateful to their dogs
"They are the heroes of the night. Without them we would have noticed the flames much later and this would have ended much worse. The fire could have spread to our house, or we could have been injured”.