Family dog saves the day in early morning blaze

Jessica Garrison

NEWPORT SHORES -- An early morning fire that firefighters believe was

sparked by a discarded cigarette has left a Newport Shores family

shocked, temporarily homeless, and reeling from the $40,000 worth of

damages.

No one was seriously injured in the blaze, which sent flames billowing

into the night about 4 a.m. Saturday morning, firefighters said.

Newport Beach Police and firefighters from Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and

Huntington Beach were on the scene within minutes and declared the fire

under control by 4:20 a.m. -- but not before a ball of flames flashed

over the firefighters.

Gary Montgomery credited the family’s fox terrier, Pona, with saving the

home, and those of neighbors.Montgomery, his daughter, his wife, and her

mother were sleeping soundly in the house they have lived in for 22 years

when Pona began barking and woke Montgomery’s daughter, Kristen.

Though flames had engulfed her bedroom, Kristen Montgomery woke her

parents, helped her grandmother to safety and then ran into the street

and began banging on doors to warn neighbors.

She suffered second- and third-degree burns to her feet, and was taken to

a hospital and then released.

Her grandmother suffered from smoke inhalation and also was taken to the

hospital and released.

Gary Montgomery woke up and then helped his wife, who is confined to a

wheelchair because she suffers from multiple sclerosis.

“We’re OK for now,” said Montgomery, as he recuperated at a local hotel

with his family.

Pona is staying with family friends, but was at the hotel Sunday

afternoon “to visit with Grandma.”

Montgomery’s neighbor said the fire had terrified the neighborhood.

“I’ve seen a lot of things, but I’ve never been that personally scared,”

he said of the experience of waking up and seeing flames two feet from

his bedroom. “I’ll never think of fire in the same way again.”

Montgomery said the one bright spot in the tragedy was the tremendous

support of his neighbors.

“They were great. I didn’t realize they were that great until this

happened,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve talked to this one neighbor of

mine for 20 years, and she was so concerned about my wife, she gave us

clothes. We didn’t have any clothes because we didn’t stop to change

them.

“I think the neighbors were more scared than I was,” he added. “They said

it was a hell of a way to have a block party.”