Dog in U.K. Sets Family's Kitchen on Fire and Pet Parents Should Take Note

Any parent of a toddler knows how important baby proofing the house is, well, one dog from the UK is an important reminder for pet parents that there are some items in the home that absolutely should be dog-proofed.

Because this dog started a fire in the family kitchen and nearly burned the entire house down!

CBS News reports, "England's Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said that when responders arrived at the scene, the family's kitchen was "full of smoke." Firefighters had to use hose reel jets to distinguish the flames, which they were able to do quickly, before ventilating the property. All damage was contained in the kitchen.

"This morning we were called out to a kitchen fire which started after items were left on top of the hob," Watch Manager Rob Fossett said in a press release on Wednesday. "It had been turned on accidentally by the family's dog."

Related: Dog Accidentally Starts a Fire While Innocently Playing Fetch

I can't even imagine how scary this was for the family and thankfully no one was hurt!

I've never even considered my own dog pulling a stunt like this because he is far too short to even reach anywhere close to where the gas knobs are on my cooktop, but I did once live in a home with an induction range that my cats were easily able to turn on simply by walking across the cooktop.

Any cat parent knows how much cats love nothing more than walking across kitchen counters, no matter how many times you spray them with water or tell them no.

I do see how my dog would be able to turn the knobs on my cooktop if he were taller, and my own cooktop has a lock button. That is an important reminder for pet parents to see if your own oven or oven/stove/cooktop combo has the same.

How To Keep Your Dog Safe in the Kitchen

It goes without saying you should never leave your dog unattended in the kitchen while you are cooking or frying something on your stovetop, because the smells could prove too enticing for your pup and they could end up burning themselves while trying to nab a sample.

Non-skid rugs or mats are helpful in the kitchen, especially for older dogs that are starting to have mobility issues.

Keep dangerous items such as cleaning products, chemicals, and sharp objects like knives and scissors stored safely in cabinets or locked drawers where your dog cannot access them.

Either get a locked garbage can or a trash drawer so your pup can't get into that either.

As for the stove, most retailers sell stove knob locks to keep your kid, fur baby or human, from turning on the cooktop!

We all love having our dogs keep us company while we cook, we just have to remember to keep them safe while we do so!

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