"Rocket" the dog sounds fire alarm

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, a terrible fire gutted the modest two-story home at 8489 East Main Street Road in LeRoy. And the loud and urgent barks of "Rocket" may have helped alert people, thereby saving lives.

As it was, Daniel Bovee, 46, sustained burns to his face and feet when he tried to re-enter the house to grab his car keys. Rita Teeter, 54, and, Jennifer Coombs, 25, along with Bovee also suffered smoke inhalation.

But Rocket, who lives across the street at 8484, was on to something amiss from the get-go. He barked, neighbors said, and yelped, and though no one has proof, probably did back flips and Tarzan yells to get someone to pay attention.

The residents made it out alive. Obviously, this was no canine crying wolf. The alert, solid, light-brown dog, with one blue eye and one green, was simply responding to an emergency -- smoke, fire, ashes -- and then people scurrying and yelling as emergency crews responded.

Incredibly, 79-year-old Minnie Cory who lives next door to the gutted home, heard nothing as terror was rampaging next door. Her sister called to tell her about the mayhem and she later learned about the sounding alarm of Rocket.

"Isn't that something," she said. "It's a good thing he was barking."

He barked some more at a picture taker later that day, tail wagging all the while, tethered to a long leash at the rear of the property owned by Gary Dempsey. He's friendly, but he's no bench warmer. Rocket dog's on duty in his neighborhood and no one seems bothered by his barking.

In addition to our breaking news post this morning, Chief Tom "Woody" Woods e-mail this report this afternoon:

Call came in at 12:01 a.m. first chief of location in about 5 minutes. Reported heavy with everyone out of the structure. An additional alarm was transmitted bringing Pavilion Caledonia and Bergen to the scene. Town of Batavia dispatched as the Fast Team.  It took about 45 minutes to get the fire under control. Three residents were transported to Strong with one having some second-degree burns.