March 9 (UPI) -- A Pennsylvania couple's pet cat is being hailed as a hero after alerting its owners to a late night fire that started inside their home.

The McKeesport Fire Department said the couple were in bed about 1:30 a.m. Friday when their cat alerted them to something amiss inside their home.


"Fortunately, both were in bed at the time, and the cat actually alerted them. The cat came flying into the room. They thought that was unusual and they opened the bathroom door and found the fire," McKeesport Deputy Fire Chief Tom Perciavalle told KDKA-TV.

Perciavalle said the occupants were able to vacate the residence safely thanks to the feline.

"Another hour or two hours, the fire would have gained some momentum and they probably wouldn't have awakened through it. So fortunately they'd just gone to bed and the cat came," Perciavalle said.

Firefighters said the fire appears to have started in the attic before spreading to the bathroom.

"We found no smoke alarms in the house. Fortunately, the cat was on top of its game there," Perciavalle said.