The two-year-old pooch Bertie scratched and launched himself at the hallway door until his owners woke to investigate the commotion.
Owner John Turner said his wife Susan opened the door to find the kitchen and dining room full of thick smoke.
"A frypan with cooking oil was so close to igniting but Sue turned the gas top off just in time before the pan burst into flames," he said.
�The fire alarm did not go off because it is one of the old types and the battery was flat.
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READ NOW"Luckily Bertie was smart enough to realise we were in trouble."
The couple had inadvertently left the frypan on low heat after making dinner. They washed up and went to bed before the pan reached a dangerous temperature and started smoking.
Mr Turner said it was lucky Bertie was smart enough to serve as a smoke alarm but recommended residents install approved smoke alarms.