FIREFIGHTERS rescued a dog as a blaze took hold in a house in Sale.

They led 'Bruce' the labrador to safety from the kitchen after an arsonist struck at his home on Brooklands Road.

The fierce fire was started in the rear living room - and 10 year-old Bruce survived only because the kitchen door was shut and prevented him from being overcome by smoke.

Firefighters took three hours to bring the blaze under control after being called out by neighbour Ian Cameron, who saw smoke billowing out of the front and rear windows shortly after 7pm on Monday.

The neighbour also got his two children, aged eight and six, out of his own house. And he told SAM: "The fire brigade arrived in minutes - they were incredibly fast. It was just as well because smoke was coming out of the back and rear windows."

'Bruce' was none the worse for his ordeal and his owner David McKenzie - who was out of the house at the time of the fire - says: "Bruce survived simply because he was shut in the kitchen. I am so relieved. If anything had happened to him I would have gone off my head. The fireman were brilliant."

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels to bring the blaze under control.

Sale station officer Andy Dwan, says: "It was a very fierce fire which destroyed the ground floor. It took us three hours to bring it under control. Bruce was fine although he was distressed as we got him out under the smoke."

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