JOPLIN, Mo. — A Joplin, Missouri, resident is safe after her home catches fire; that woman’s hero happens to be her dog.

Around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, the Joplin Fire Department (JFD) arrived at a home located at the intersection of 7th Street and Porter Avenue (630 South Porter Avenue).

Upon arrival, fire crews found the home fully engulfed in flames.

The owner of the home posted on Facebook that she was asleep when the fire broke out.

She said her dog woke her up after the fire began.

JFD said both were able to safely escape without injury.

The intense heat from that fire spread next door, melting the siding of a neighboring home.

It took fire crews approximately 30 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

JFD Battalion Chief. Mike Redshaw said the owner of the home is lucky to be alive.

Statistics show that fatalities occur more often from residential fires that happen at night (when most people are sleeping), versus daytime residential fires.

Because of that statistic, Battalion Chief Redshaw stresses that every home should have at least one working smoke detector.

Ideally, one should be located in each bedroom.

“It’s very important at night because it allows you and your family ample time to get out. If you can get out before the smoke is thick and the toxic gases are overwhelming, it increases your odds of getting out of the house, even if you have to go in areas where there is smoke present,” said Battalion Chief, Mike Redshaw with the Joplin Fire Department.

If you’re in need of a smoke detector, but can’t afford one, the Joplin Fire Department can help.

All you have to do is stop by any one of the city’s six fire stations.