Dog dies in Hammonton fire after waking household

HAMMONTON, N.J. - Nine people escaped a house fire Saturday after a pit bull's barking alerted them to the blaze. But the young dog died in the fire, Hammonton police said.

None of the adults and children in the ranch home were injured, Detective John Panarello said. All were sleeping when the dog began barking around 4:30 a.m., and when they went to investigate they realized the house was in flames. As they fled, a newspaper carrier in the area noticed the flames and called 911.

The cause of the fire, which apparently began in the back of the house and destroyed most of it, was under investigation. - AP