Chicken Alerts Wisconsin Family to House Fire

ALMA CENTER, Wis. (AP) - A western Wisconsin couple can credit a pet chicken for helping save them from a house fire.

Alma Center Fire Chief Jeff Gaede says they were sleeping when the chicken woke them at about 6:15 a.m. Thursday. He says the smoke alarms didn't go off when the fire started in an attic above the attached garage.

He says the chicken and a cat also escaped, but another cat died.

Neighbor Brad Krueger says he raised the chicken on his farm until dogs chased it away. The couple then started taking care of it.

Gaede says he's heard of dogs and cats alerting families to fire but he was amazed to hear about the chicken.

The fire destroyed the house and the cause is still being investigated.

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