Michelle Mills with Queen and Rowdy One minute, Michelle Mills was resting peacefully in her bed and the next minute she was running for her life to escape a fire raging through her home.

Mills was alerted to the fire at 1:23 p.m. Thursday, April 29 – by her pet dogs Queen and Rowdy. After doing some laundry, Mills said she sat down on her bed to watch a little TV and dozed off. Impossible as it may seem, Mills said barking by her two pet threeyear old toy Chihuahuas roused her from sleep.

“There was smoke all around me,” she said.

Somehow, Mills was able to grab the two dogs and take them out of the structure, a mobile home in the 11000 block on County Road 152 about three miles north of Bullard. She ran back into the burning home to retrieve a pair of guinea pigs.

Mills made it out safely as firefighters arrived. The structure was fully engulfed in flames and eventually it was completely destroyed. At one point, hundreds of rounds of ammunition exploded as a result of the fire, but no firefighter was in danger and none were injured.

“I love my dogs,” Mills said. “They’re my heroes.”

According to Smith County Assistant Fire Mar- shall Connie McCoy-Wasson, the fire started in the living room of the home. It was likely started when a candle ignited nearby combustible materials. After lighting a candle, Mills said she opened a window in the living room. It was a very windy day and McCoy-Wasson said that may have triggered the ignition.

Mills and Dennis Waddill were renting from home owners Dawn and Kevin Moore. Mills was alone in the house at the time of the fire.

While the dogs survived, the guinea pigs later died.

McCoy-Wasson said both the renters and the home owners were insured.

The Bullard Volunteer Fire Department, the Flint- Gresham Fire Department, the Whitehouse Fire Department and the Noonday Fire Department responded to the emergency.