Grafton garage fire, dog alerted family: 'He saved our lives'

GRAFTON, Wis. - A Grafton family is counting their blessings after a fire early Saturday morning, Sept. 2.

"The fire was coming up the side of the garage. Going up the roofline," said Deputy Fire Chief Tom Bichanich. "Our crews made a good attack to knock down the fire and prevent it from going inside the house."

While there were working smoke detectors, the homeowners said they made it out thanks to something else.  

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

"Maverick jumped off the couch and stayed growling and barking as if there was an intruder," said the homeowner, who did not want to be identified. "I definitely think he saved our lives. Most definitely not a question about it."

The 1-year-old dog knew there was danger and alerted the family. 

Maverick the dog helps homeowners during Grafton garage fire

"The homeowner exited the house and saw something, what was believed to be lithium-ion batteries, that were exploding on the side of the garage," said Bichanich.

While the aftermath is devasting, everyone is happy no one was harmed.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.

"Animals are pretty smart," said Bichanich. "They know when something is not right."

The garage area of the home has heavy damage, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.