Hero dog saves owner during fire

MARION - Fern Parish sat on her couch Tuesday evening. She had spent most of the day celebrating her 78th birthday when she began to doze off in the living room of her Uhler Avenue home. 

As she fell asleep, her dog Chin Chin, a five-year-old Chow, roamed the house. 

Shortly after 4:15 a.m., when Chin Chin began barking and pulling at her feet, Parish jolted up from her couch. The smoke detector was ringing and smoke filled up the room. 

"I couldn't see anything, the smoke was too thick," she said. "I heard the smoke detector, but it was too late."

A wall outlet in the dining room at the north end of the house had caught on fire. Flames quickly made their way across the floor before travelling up a pipe and into the attic of the one-story house.

Chin Chin began scratching at the chair trying to get Parish to stand up.  Once she made it on her feet, that's when the nudging began. 

"It was like he was a shepherd, herding me out," she said. "He saved my life."

Once Parish was able to get out of the house, she called 911 at around 4:39 a.m., with 15 Marion city firefighters and two from Marion Township arriving shortly after. 

Firefighters said that smoke was coming out of the house as they approached the scene. Once they began battling the blaze it quickly accelerated.  

However, they were able to contain the fire in 23 minutes, according to Marion City Fire Chief Chuck Deem. 

Deem said no one was injured in the blaze and that they estimate $50,000 in damages to the house and an additional $25,000 to its contents. 

The Red Cross was called to the scene providing clothing and other assistance to Parish and Chin Chin, who are staying with a relative. 

HKarim@nncogannett.com

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