"Billy" the dog alerts Brookfield homeowners of fire

BROOKFIELD -- Brookfield firefighters say "Billy" the dog alerted his owners of fire in their garage on Ridgeview Dr. Friday morning. That notice allowed them to get out of the building even before their smoke detectors sounded.

The fire broke out shortly after 9 a.m. and it quickly escalated to two alarms. Because of the dog's alert, the homeowners chose not to open the door from the house to the garage to see what was burning. Officials say this was important because it would have allowed the fire to spread and possibly injured the homeowners.

The homeowners' pet cat was later recovered by firefighters. It was taken to an animal hospital for treatment.



Crews from the Town of Brookfield, Elm Grove, Wauwatosa, Butler, Pewaukee, West Allis, New Berlin, Menomonee Falls and Lisbon assisted in fighting the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The damage is estimated at $150,000.