Teens save dog from burning house, then extinguish the fire
Two local teenagers are being credited with tackling a house fire in Fort Erie — after first saving the family dog.
On Monday afternoon, Alex Brigantino, 18, was visiting his friend Christina Pascuzzi, 16, at her home on Albany Street when the pair noticed smoke coming from the rear of the home next door.
They acted quickly by calling 911 and taking care of business until emergency crews arrived at the scene. Alex broke down the front door and rescued a dog inside the house.
The fire was outside on the deck so the teen then grabbed a garden hose and extinguished the heart of the fire.
“I’ve been in a house fire before so I know what it feels like,” said Brigantino, referring to an incident he says took place in downtown Fort Erie when he was four years old.
In an interview with Postmedia, he said his efforts took about 10 minutes before police and firefighters arrived.
“It was pretty quick — the fire went out faster than I thought it would,” he said.
Fort Erie fire Chief Ed Melanson says the fire was accidental and appears to have started from a cigarette butt discarded in the backyard.
There were no injuries and damage was confined to the deck and the siding on the house.
I’ve been in a house fire before so I know what it feels like.” Alex Brigantino
He says the Fort Erie Fire Department is appreciative of the two teenagers but also wants to caution the public to be mindful of their own safety and how dangerous fire scenes can be.
“In this case, he stopped a lot of damage and did a great job,” said Melanson.