Dog Alerts Rockland Family To Dec. 24 Fire That Destroys Their House

BARDONIA, NY — What could have been a terrible holiday tragedy was mitigated by a wise and loyal canine companion — a family of four lost their house and belongings but not their lives early Saturday in Bardonia.

"Luckily all occupants were able to evacuate the house without injury because the family dog alerted them to the fire," Nanuet fire officials said on Facebook.

Apparently Chloe, one of two canine members of the Mullhall family, scratched at the bedroom door until she got a response.

"Everybody was tucked in bed sleeping," said Traci Cohen, a friend of the Mulhalls who started a GoFundMe campaign on Christmas Eve.

The fire at 35 Barry Lane was called in at 1:50 a.m. The first Clarkstown police officer to arrive saw flames coming out from the soffits under the roof at the rear of the house, and all four occupants, two adults and two children, evacuating unharmed along with their two dogs.

The Nanuet Fire Department requested mutual aid from New City, West Nyack and Pearl River fire departments.

"Firefighters battled not only the flames but also the extreme cold," fire officials said.

Nanuet Community Ambulance and Rockland Paramedics were staged nearby, but no injuries were reported.

While no official determination of cause was made over the weekend, "The cause is not holiday related," Clarkstown Police Det. Norman Peters told Patch.

The house was deemed to be uninhabitable and the family found temporary housing with nearby family members, he said.

"This family needs community support, with it being a day before Christmas, and losing everything they need the basic essentials," Cohen wrote on Saturday. "Like clothing, for all members, some Christmas gifts for the kids and anything they need to get settled."

Her hope was that the online fundraising effort would rouse get the community’s help in providing for the young family. By Christmas she was able to post this update: "Donations have come in from all over! Family now has clothing for all members, personal items and tons of gifts for the boys!"

It has raised $36,292 as of Tuesday morning, almost twice as much as its initial $20,000 goal.