Ace resting outside his home. (Rita Reith/AP)
Nick Lamb, a 13-year old boy who had been born deaf, had just returned from summer camp and was enjoying his first summer that his parents considered him old enough to be left home alone.
The boy was at home and sleeping without his hearing aids in when his pet Pit Bull, Ace, began licking his face in an attempt to wake him. Nick initially dismissed the attempts to be woken up by Ace as the dog simply wanting food or to be let outside.
When Ace continued to lick the boy's face, Nick finally got out of bed only to realize the house had filled with smoke. With no time to even put on his shoes, Nick grabbed one of his cochlear implants, covered his face with his shirt, and raced out of the back door with Ace at his side.
Once outside, Nick called 911 and his mom, Lindsay Bernard, who credits Ace with saving the life of her son. "It's amazing, because if he wouldn't have been there, he probably wouldn't have even woke up," said Lindsay.
The family's cat, Pixie, was also inside the home during the fire and was rescued by firefighters. She was treated by a vet for smoke inhalation, but was expected to recover.