Woof Warning: Dog Alerts Owner to House Fire Next Door

Rescue dog, Roux, instrumental in alerting family to house fire (City of Franklin, Tenn.)
Rescue dog, Roux, instrumental in alerting family to house fire (City of Franklin, Tenn.)
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Woof Warning: Dog Alerts Owner to House Fire Next Door

Rescue dog, Roux, instrumental in alerting family to house fire (City of Franklin, Tenn.)
Rescue dog, Roux, instrumental in alerting family to house fire (City of Franklin, Tenn.)

A dog in Tennessee became a hero on the Fourth of July by alerting her owner to a house fire next door.

Roux, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, woke her owner Jeff LeCates with "frantic and unusual barks" on Saturday night, a Franklin Fire Department press release said.

When LeCates opened his door to investigate, Roux burst out and LeCates saw his neighbor's home on fire, officials said.

LeCates banged on their door, waking the family of three and their pets, and then used a garden hose on the fire until firefighters arrived. No one in the home was injured.

Franklin Fire Marshal Andy King said video evidence shows the homeowners throwing away fireworks and other combustibles near their trash can. Consumer fireworks are illegal in Franklin.

The woman whose home caught fire has a special place in Roux's heart.

The press release said the woman is a dog groomer and the reason why LeCates adopted Roux 15 months ago. She knew LeCates had lost his German Shepard and Roux is a similar breed. She helped with the adoption, knowing Roux needed a home.



Elderly Man Dies as Wildfires Rage in Türkiye, Forcing Evacuations and Road Closures

A drone view shows burnt trees and destroyed houses in the aftermath of a wildfire in Seferihisar near Izmir, Türkiye, June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Ufuk Erdem
A drone view shows burnt trees and destroyed houses in the aftermath of a wildfire in Seferihisar near Izmir, Türkiye, June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Ufuk Erdem
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Elderly Man Dies as Wildfires Rage in Türkiye, Forcing Evacuations and Road Closures

A drone view shows burnt trees and destroyed houses in the aftermath of a wildfire in Seferihisar near Izmir, Türkiye, June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Ufuk Erdem
A drone view shows burnt trees and destroyed houses in the aftermath of a wildfire in Seferihisar near Izmir, Türkiye, June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Ufuk Erdem

Firefighters on Thursday discovered the body of an elderly man after extinguishing a wildfire near a village in western Türkiye, while crews elsewhere continued to battle another blaze that closed a highway and forced some residents to be evacuated from their homes.

The 81-year-old-man died from smoke inhalation in a village near the town of Odemis, Suleyman Elban, the governor for Izmir province, said. His death marks the first fatality in a series of wildfires across the country that have forced thousands to flee.

A total of 37 other villagers were safely evacuated by security forces and emergency teams, Elban said, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, were deployed to extinguish a wildfire blazing in the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, a tourism hotspot some 192 kilometers (120 miles) west of Odemis.

That wildfire, which began on Wednesday, forced the evacuation of three neighborhoods and closed roads. Television footage of the blaze showed flames burning through dried vegetation on both sides of a road.

Elban said the wildfires in Izmir province are believed to have been sparked by electrical lines, which ignited dry grass and spread rapidly due to wind.

In the past week, Türkiye has battled hundreds of fires across the country that were fueled by fierce winds, scorching heat and low humidity.

The fires — most of which were brought under control — damaged or destroyed around 200 homes, the majority in İzmir, the Interior Ministry said. Dozens of barns were also destroyed.

As firefighting crews battled the blazes, Türkiye's parliament adopted the country’s first climate law late Wednesday, in a move aimed at reaching net-zero emissions by 2053.

The legislation includes measures to establish a carbon market board to oversee efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emission. It also imposes fines on companies that fail to comply with the requirements.

The U.K.-based environmental advocacy group ClientEarth on Thursday welcomed the law’s symbolic importance but said it has several shortcomings.

“The law lacks ambitious, science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the medium-term and offers no commitment to phasing out fossil fuels,” the group said.