Family dog turns on stove, starts New Jersey fire. It's happened before.
Fire investigators believe a pet dog left alone turned on the stove and set fire to a house in Lacey Township, N.J.
Fire investigators believe a pet dog left alone turned on the stove and set fire to a house in Lacey Township, N.J.
Police say a New Jersey family's dog turned on the stove, which caught the laptop resting on the burner on fire and sent smoke through the roof.
The fire was reported early Friday evening in Lacey Township while the owners were away.
Police tell the Asbury Park Press that investigators believe the dog accidentally turned on the stove, though they didn't specify how that occurred.
Police say heat from the stove eventually burned a laptop computer that had been left on top of the appliance. Smoke was pouring from the roof when firefighters arrived, but the blaze was quickly extinguished.
Firefighters rescued the dog, which emerged unscathed.
It turns out that a stove-starting dog may not be as far fetched a scenario as some may think.
In 2012, fire investigators concluded a dog turned on an electric stove in Saskatoon, Canada, reports the CBC-News.
And Petsafe.net also warns that pets can cause household fires.
This site offers nine steps to prevent pets from igniting your stove, including removing the stove knobs.