Homeowner and dog displaced after old Christmas tree catches on fire

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- On Friday, The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) responded to a house fire off Warwick Lane.

The department says that they arrived within three minutes to heavy fire coming from the garage and the window of the home.

CSFD says the homeowner was outside safely, but they heard a dog might still be trapped inside. 

Thankfully, the dog was rescued, and the homeowner was treated on scene for minor injuries, including smoke inhalation.

After investigating, crews learned that the fire was an accident.

"The homeowner was smoking next to an old christmas tree that they had not disposed of. And that christmas tree caught fire and spread to to the majority of the home. As you can see, we are going to displace this resident. There is a lot of smoke and fire damage within this home," says Ashley Franco with CSFD.

CSFD gave a reminder that most furniture and decorations these days burn much faster and hotter than they used to, leading to damage like what was left of this home. Because of that, the homeowner and their dog need to stay out of the house for at least a night. 

First responders say today's fire is an important reminder to make sure your smoke alarm is working properly, especially as we approach daylight saving time, an indicator, they say, that it's time to put in new batteries.

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