Barking dog alerts homeowner to Woodridge fire

A family dog is being credited for alerting a Woodridge homeowner to a house fire early Friday.

The fire on the 1200 block of Richfield Court broke out shortly after 4 a.m. Firefighters said the home had working smoke detectors but they didn’t activate because the fire was on the exterior of the house.

The homeowner told firefighters everyone made it out safely after a family dog burst into a bedroom and started barking, according to a news release from the Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District. Firefighters said they arrived within four minutes while the homeowner tried to keep the flames under control with a garden hose.

Damage was estimated at $30,000, but officials said the home remained habitable.

The fire was in an exterior bay window area at the front of the house and may have started at a nearby 12-volt landscape light transformer, firefighters said. The investigation is ongoing.