It’s a well-known fact that dogs are man’s best friend. They’re loyal, loving, and often-hilarious companions. One family in Minnesota realized just how loving a dog can be recently when their beloved pet rescued them from a raging fire inside their house.

The Hansen family’s 3-year-old house six miles west of Twig, Minnesota burned to the ground last week, taking everything but their lives with it. However, Dave and Carrie Hansen are just happy they made it out safely, and it’s all thanks to their dog, Milo.

Speaking with WAFB 9 News, the couple explained that they had been sleeping when Milo, their chocolate-colored pit bull, came into their bedroom and started barking in Carrie’s face. "He was up in her face, trying to get her to wake up, I guess,” Mr. Hansen said.

He also told Duluth News Tribune that they were “sound asleep […] The fire alarm could have been going off, but if the dog didn’t wake the wife up and the wife didn’t wake me up, I still would have been lying there.”

What Carrie initially thought was just annoying mischief turned out to be an urgent warning from the dog, who had spotted smoke coming from the garage. The brave canine led his owner to the source of the fire, and Carrie then proceeded to wake up her husband.

Mr. Hansen described the scene in the garage as “solid smoke."

Even at this point, the couple didn’t realize quite how serious the blaze was. Dave attempted to put it out by spraying it, thinking he would be able to contain it easily. "I never thought it was going to burn down,” he said.

Unfortunately, the fire spread through the whole garage and eventually reached the roof and engulfed the entire home. The blaze torched everything, including a new car that was being stored in the garage.

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When he realized the fire was out of control, Dave ensured that everyone evacuated safely.

Mr. Hansen is a woodworker and mechanic, and the garage was effectively his office. "Basically, everything I own was in there," he told reporters, including torch tanks and a welder.

To rub salt in the wound, the house was not insured, and the estimated damage is about US$750,000. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family, and their daughter, Adrieona, has been sharing updates and photos of the damage on Facebook. Thankfully, no one was injured in the fire, thanks to Milo’s quick-thinking.

Carrie is still in awe of her faithful friend’s actions, saying “You always hear how your dog will save your life […] And this dog … I just can’t believe it.”

Milo may never know quite how heroic his actions were, but he’s just happy that he’s a “very good boy.”