A 10-year-old dog was the hero of a house blaze at Dawlish in 1985.
Tina, a West Highland terrier, raised the alarm when fire started in a home with six sleeping people.
Within minutes thick smoke began spreading through 6 Haldon Terrace, and all the occupants could have been suffocated in their sleep by the fumes.
Police and fire chiefs praised the dog and reckoned she could have averted a possible tragedy.
Tina is the pet of Kay McMurray, who has a top floor flat in the house.
The owners, Mr and Mrs Malcolm Walker and their three children, live in the rest of the building.
All were sound asleep when the fire, thought to have been started by a electrical fault, broke out on the first floor lounge.
‘Tina sleeps in the same room as me and often wakes me up in the night to go to the toilet.
‘She never barks, but sniffs and I did not think much of it when she woke me up,’ said Mrs McMurray.
‘But I soon smelled the smoke and realised something was wrong.
‘I went downstairs and could see a room was on fire and quickly told Mr and Mrs Walker.
‘There is no doubt Tina probably saved our lives.
‘I do not think anybody would have smelled the smoke in time.
‘The fire was so fierce it was impossible to touch the lounge door because it was so hot.’
When Dawlish firemen arrived they had to don breathing apparatus to enter the room because of the heat and smoke.
‘We all owe Tina a debt of gratitude and when things are a bit straighter here, I think we will come up with some of treat to say thank you to her,’ Mr Walker added.
‘There is no doubt Tina is a hero, but today she seems a bit confused by all the activity going on.
‘We are all somewhat shocked knowing what could have happened, but the firemen did a good job in containing the blaze and rest of the house is still habitable.’