His house was on fire when Lucifer the dog came to the rescue, Kansas man says

When Larry Moore’s house caught fire, both of his dogs — Lucifer and Angel — were inside of his home, he told KAKE.

The Hutchinson, Kansas, man was asleep while the fire was blazing in the same room, according to a post by the Hutchinson Fire Department. Moore was the only person inside of the home, which is marked with a black-and-white “Beware of Dog” sign on the right side of his front door.

Fortunately for Moore, one of his dogs woke him up, the fire department said on Wednesday, about three hours after the fire.

It was 15-year-old Lucifer, or Lucy for short, Moore told KWCH.

“He jumped up to my lap and jumped on me and he woke me up,” he told KWCH in a video interview. “And I turned around and my house was on fire. I don’t think I would have made it” if it were not for Lucifer.

Moore told KAKE in a video interview that he was asleep in his chair when Lucy started barking and jumping.

There was “smoke and fire all around,” he told KAKE.

During the interview, Moore showed off a scrapbook with a photo of Lucifer. The caption with the photo reads

“Lucifer

Cathys and my dog

nick named Lucy Lou

2015.”

Neighbor Clarissa Swenson told the Hutchinson News that Moore and his late wife have had Lucifer for “many years.” She called the dog an “old mutt.”

“Lucy awoke him from a dead sleep,” Swenson told the newspaper. “He’s so fortunate.”

Swenson told the Hutchinson News that she saw smoke “billowing out,” and that she could not believe the house was still standing.

In the Facebook post, firefighters said smoke was venting from both the front door and attic when they arrived at 2:18 a.m.

“Crews made an aggressive interior attack extinguishing the fire quickly,” the post says.

Moore was not injured, but he was treated for smoke inhalation after reentering his home twice during the fire to grab some of his belongings, the department reported.

“HFD understands that your home contains many of your important items,” the post says. “Please, never reenter your home if it is on fire. Meet with one of the arriving firefighters and tell them of your needs. We will retrieve your items for you.”

The Hutchinson Fire Department said it ruled it as an electrical fire after “multiple improper extension cords” were found where the fire started.

“HFD would like to remind home owners that smoke detectors are a necessity and will save lives,” the department posted. “Also, please limit the use of extension cords in your home, be aware of their limitations, do not use them for permanent wiring, use the correct size, and do not place them underneath anything.”

This story was originally published July 26, 2018 at 12:40 PM.