Fire Destroys Home

A Muskingum County woman is alive thanks to her smoke detector and her pet cat.

 Wayne Township Fire Chief Don Alexander says just before 5:30 Tuesday morning his crew was called to 3225 Wayne Ridge Road and found half of a home engulfed in flames.

Chief Alexander says the owner of the home – Debbie Woodrow – was sleeping when the fire broke out, but when her smoke detector went off it caused her cat to jump on her and she awoke to escape the flames.

Alexander says the cause of the fire is accidental and likely because of an electrical problem. He says the home is a total loss.

Wayne Township firefighters were assisted on the scene by Harrison and Washington Township fire departments.

It took crews 2 1/2 hours to extinguish the flames.

One fire fighter suffered a cut to the finger and was treated on the scene.