RAYTOWN, Mo. — A metro mom and her teenage daughter are okay after making a bold escape, but say they wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for the family dog.
Nicole Moore, who is the single mother of two and her daughter, got out of their burning home through a window early Sunday morning.
Ninety-six-year-old Olene Crowley has lived in her Raytown home for the past 30 years. She said she never expected to wake up in the middle of the night to her neighbors’ up in flames.
“Oh I thought the house was gone. I would have swore there wouldn’t be nothing left of that house at all,” said Crowley. “I was just thinking, oh god somebody’s home’s gone, somebody’s homes gone, I can’t imagine losing your home.”
Kory and Genevieve Buys, who are friends of Moore, said the single mom was home with her teenage daughter early Sunday morning.
“She’s a really great person, extremely caring, very compassionate. She always does what she can to help others that are in need,” said Genevieve.
Just before 2:30 in the morning the family dog, Abby, barked that something was wrong.
“They had no idea; both of them are pretty heavy sleepers from what they were telling us this morning,” said Kory.
The pair awoke to smoke and flames, and the staircase was gone. They crawled onto the roof through a second floor window to get out.
“She had a really tough time waking her daughter up to even get her out the window,” said Genevieve.
Both Moore and her daughter are okay.
“I know that they’re just very relieved that they were able to get up and out in time,” said Genevieve.
But Abby, the two-year-old cocker spaniel terrier mix, who woke them up died in the fire.
“The dog woke them up saved their lives, and you kind of hope that the hero will be able to live another day and unfortunately the dog didn’t make it out,” said Kory.
Moore’s son and another man were not home at the time of the fire. The Buys’ said the Moore family lost everything in the fire. The home is a complete loss.
