‘He’s an Awesome Dog’ : Pet Awakens Woman, Neighbor Upstairs as Fire Races Through Duplex

See Spot run. See Spot jump. See Spot be a hero.

That’s exactly what an Echo Park dog did Tuesday morning--awakening his owner, Victoria Wendell, as flames were rapidly overtaking the wood-frame house where she lived.

Wendell, 41, who rented the lower unit of a duplex built in the 1920s, said she was asleep in her bed when she awoke to her dog’s uncontrolled barking.

“When I woke up there was smoke everywhere and my dog was jumping on my chest, like he was doing CPR or something,” said Wendell. “I really credit him with saving my life. I don’t know if I would have woke up.”

“He is an awesome dog,” said upstairs neighbor Daryl Jones, 47, who narrowly escaped the flames after hearing Spot’s barking. “He is aware of every little nuance in this neighborhood.”

The blaze, which took firefighters 35 minutes to extinguish, caused extensive damage. Wendell said she lost everything in the fire, including a sewing machine that she used to make costumes. Jones said he was only able to take a few possessions as he ran from his home.

The fire was believed to have been ignited by a faulty floor furnace. Smoke detectors in the duplex were not working, fire officials said. City inspectors ordered the fire-weakened structure vacated because it was leaning precariously on a slope.

“The barking of the dog woke them up and they were able to escape,” Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells said. “Animals are very sensitive to smoke and fires.”

This wasn’t the first time that Spot, a Dalmatian-pit bull mix, has come to the rescue, Wendell said. A few months ago, Spot bit a thief who was attempting to steal Wendell’s car stereo in a parking lot. Spot, who was in the car at the time, would not let go of the robber’s arm until security guards arrived.

Spot was something of a celebrity in the neighborhood even before the fire. He recently landed a job as the model for a Hollywood studio’s logo.

Wendell took in Spot about a year ago after someone left the dog, then about 6 weeks old, in her unlocked car. Spot “was definitely left there for a reason,” Wendell said.

“The dog has become my best friend,” Wendell said. “He is totally devoted to me.”