WMBFNews.com, Myrtle Beach/Florence SC, Weather
When Hugh Auton’s South Carolina home caught on fire he didn’t hear the smoke alarm go off in his sleep. Luckily he had a back-up alert system, his 3-year-old Chihuahua Blue. Thanks to Blue both Hugh and his cousin Mike made it out of the house just moments before a huge explosion.
On Monday morning the smoke alarms in Auton’s house went off. “I did not hear them, I guess I was sleeping pretty sound and I did not hear,” Auton said. What did wake him up was Blue, who smelled the smoke and started acting as a smoke alarm himself. “He was running around barking, whining and all the way around the bed,” Auton said. Auton and his cousin Mike were able to get out just before the flames caught up to Mike’s oxygen tanks for his COPD. This set off a huge explosion blowing out a whole end of the house.
Blue’s actions saved both men’s lives. “This is the hero of the family right here,” Auton said of Blue. Auton plans to grill Blue a nice steak and hopes to be able to rebuild his property and live there with his hero, Blue.
