[Audio] Family member praises lifesaving dog after fire, seeking housing; Top stories from last week

In the latest episode of Humboldt Last Week (10:48): Who’s a good dog? Milli for sure. One recent morning in the 6 o’clock hour she woke up her Eureka family letting ‘em know their kitchen was on fire.

“(If it weren’t for Milli), I think I would have died from smoke inhalation,” said family member Jessica Jones. “My boyfriend is a really hard sleeper, I’m surprised the she even woke him up.  And I wouldn’t have woken up because I was so far in the back room…”

Luckily the children that live in the home were not at the house at the time. The two turtles that live there are also okay.

Jones said there were batteries in the smoke detectors at the home, and isn’t sure if the batteries were dead or if the detector malfunctioned. Because their rental agreement requires tenants to periodically test the detectors, that could possibly limit their housing options moving forward. Her boyfriend first rented the place around eight years ago.

“I’m just grateful that our dog saved our lives,” Jones said. “(Please let me know) if there’s any rentals out there available for (a displaced family) due to a fire on accident.”

In the podcast you can hear more about Milli, her family, her reward, and her difficult housing situation.

The story begins at 10:48.

Also covered

A Eureka mom said a woman tried to steal her truck with her baby inside, a condemned property displacing families, a Humboldt-shot film makes a Rolling Stone list, illegal outdoor cannabis woes, Mateel woes, good news for Eureka’s economy, the HSU alum headed for the NFL draft gets a huge nod, a hero, the Chronicle’s choice of the coolest thing to do in Humboldt, top crime stories, and other highlights.

Humboldt Last Week is a way to hear highlights from Humboldt’s last week of news. It’s available on iTunes, SoundCloud, top podcast platforms, and at kymkemp.com.

Milli, submitted

Press release from Humboldt Bay Fire:

At 6:26 AM this morning, Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a call for a Structure Fire in the 4100 block of Little Fairfield Street in Eureka. As the first arriving Fire Engine pulled up to the single-family home, they observed light smoke coming from the front door with a female resident on the front lawn suffering from mild smoke inhalation.

Firefighters geared up to attack the fire and made entry into the home. Once inside, they encountered a male resident in the kitchen attempting to extinguish a small fire on the stove. Firefighters escorted the male resident to safety, finished extinguishing the fire, and checked to ensure the fire had not spread into the attic.

After a quick knockdown of the fire, fire crews observed that the home had no working smoke detectors. The resident stated he had been cooking food on the stove that morning and fallen asleep. The next thing he remembered was being awakened by the family dog and seeing smoke in the house. Both residents of the home suffered from mild smoke inhalation but denied the need for additional medical attention. If not for the family dog alerting the residents, this incident could have had a much different outcome. Damage to personal belongings and the home are estimated to be $5000.

Humboldt Bay Fire would like to remind you that smoke detectors that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in saving lives. If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke detectors to give you time to get out.