A barking dog might have helped save a family of four from an early morning blaze that appeared to start in the ceiling of a two-story house in Whispering Pines.

The fire, reported at 2:40 a.m., burned through the roof of the house and caused extensive damage, said Whispering Pines Fire Chief Scott Bullard. The family escaped uninjured, Bullard said.

"It's fair to say that a barking dog alerted the family (that the house was on fire)," Bullard said, "and may very well have saved their lives."

Bullard said he was unsure if the dog belonged to the family or was a neighbor's dog. The house is located on Countess Court in the Princess Gate subdivision.

A Whispering Pines firefighter was injured while inside the house battling the blaze. He suffered slight burns to his leg. Bullard said it hadn't been determined exactly what happened, but that the injured firefighter was one of several that were inside the house. He was transported to FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital where he was treated and released. His name was not released.

Bullard said that his assistant chief, who was among the first responders to the scene, reported that when the first Whispering Pines fire truck arrived, flames could be seen shooting through the roof of the house. The fire was eventually brought under control by 4:28 a.m.

He said that the cause of the fire was still under investigation by Moore County Fire Marshall Ken Skipper.

Joining Whispering Pines in responding to the fire were the Southern Pines, Circle V, Carthage, Pinehurst, Eastwood and Seven Lakes fire departments. Also on the scene were Moore County EMS, officials with Moore County Public Safety and the Whispering Pines Rescue Squad.

Contact Hunter Chase at 693-2478 or by e-mail at hchase@thepilot.com.