Frantic barking from a family dog, coupled with the shrill cry of a smoke alarm rocketed a couple from bed early yesterday morning, forcing them to flee their home as flames gutted it from the inside out.
A cigarette was tossed into a planter full of flammable peat moss earlier in the afternoon and smouldered for 12 hours before bursting into flames, officials said.
The result: Over $500,000 damage to a newer home on 19 Avenue and 126 Street.
The couple and their dog ran from the home just before 3:30 a.m., escaping unharmed.
