Pet Rabbit Saves Baby And Family From House Fire Horror

A pet rabbit has helped save a family including a baby from a house fire after repeatedly scratching and banging on a bedroom door to wake the sleeping residents.

The fire broke out in the Petropolis neighbourhood of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, in the early hours of 9th June.

Five people were inside the home when the blaze started, including 63-year-old Miguel Mendes, Natalia Franca, 38, Ingrid Magalhaes, 23, Miguel Antonio, 19, and the nine-month-old baby Maria Luiza Ribeiro.

According to the Amazonas Military Fire Department, the family's pet rabbit Nina began behaving unusually and repeatedly scratched and thumped the bedroom door where the family was sleeping.

Miguel said: "She hit the door once, then again. The third time was much stronger. When I opened the door, I saw the fire had already reached my son's bedroom and the kitchen. It was panic."

The startled family managed to leave the property before the flames spread further through the house.

Firefighters said only one person required treatment at the scene for smoke inhalation and was released shortly afterwards.

After the family escaped, Nina disappeared during the confusion.

Fire crews later found the rabbit unharmed in a nearby alleyway and returned her to her owners.

Miguel said Nina had lived with the family for six years and normally spent the night roaming around the kitchen.

He added that Nina had never behaved that way before except when her food bowl was empty.

He said: "She never made that kind of noise. She only did that when there wasn't enough food. Other than that, she'd never done anything like it."

The grateful homeowner credited the rabbit with saving the lives of everyone inside the property.

He said: "She is everything to us. She saved my life and the life of my family. It's hard to believe, but she warned us in every way she could."

Aspirant Jefferson Italo, who commanded the operation, said firefighters successfully rescued all the occupants and also recovered the rabbit without injuries.

Four fire engines and 12 firefighters attended the incident.

The crew used around 800 litres of water to bring the blaze under control and extinguish it.

The cause of the fire had not been disclosed by officials.

(Marija Stojkoska/Newsflash)