A BELOVED family pet has been praised by fire crews after saving her family.

Jessie, a five-year-old rescue dog originally from Romania, alerted her owners who were in a deep sleep after a fire broke out from an electrical heater in a cupboard at a property in New Polzeath.

It is reported that the room was filled with smoke after the fire broke out, with Jessie alerting her family after becoming aware of the smoke. As a result of her actions, the family were able to get to safety while crews from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service in Wadebridge and Delabole made their way to extinguish the fire.

It has led to a station watch manager warning of the importance of having working smoke alarms within a property.

Josh Plowman, a station watch manager with Cornwall Fire and Rescue station watch manager said: “Firefighters entered and located the fire, which was promptly dealt with.

"It was only after this that the family informed us that it was actually Jessie who had roused them from a deep sleep as the property was filling with smoke.

"We advise not to leave electric heaters switched on if you leave the house and just to ensure that nothing is placed directly on to or in the nearby vicinity of one, as this greatly increases the risk of fire.

"Obviously, dogs in particular have a heightened sense of smell so they're often able to detect smoke even before smoke detectors activate, and that was the case this morning."

A spokesperson for Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service added: “Jessie alerted her owners to a fire that had started in their family home this morning.

“With the family sound asleep, Jessie identified smoke filling the home and quickly roused them, ensuring they escaped unharmed.

“At 6.06am, crews from Wadebridge Community Fire Station and Delabole Community Fire Station were mobilised to New Polzeath and located an electric heater on fire within a cupboard.

“Thanks to Jessie’s quick thinking and protective instincts, the small fire was promptly dealt with and contained to the cupboard of origin before any significant damage was done.”