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From The Sydney Morning Herald
A family pet has been credited with saving his owners from their burning home.
The dog started barking to rouse the family from their slumber as smoke billowed through their Launceston home around 2am (AEST) on Wednesday.
The parents tried to put out the fire, which had spread from embers in an open fireplace, and then ran out into the street to call for help.
Firefighters contained the blaze to the living room around the fireplace with minor smoke damage to the rest of the home.
Paul Catterall of the Tasmania Fire Service says the house was fitted with a smoke alarm but it had a flat battery.
If it wasn’t for the family pet, an Australian silky terrier, the situation could have escalated to a far more serious situation, he said.
He reminded homeowners to check all batteries on their smoke alarms.
The fire caused around $5000 in damages.