Maryville, TN – A Blount County man credited his dog with alerting him to a fire that broke out on his boat Monday night at the Ish Creek Boat Ramp in the Louisville area. The fire, which started on one of three boats docked at the ramp, could have turned deadly had it not been for the quick response of the man’s pet.
Jim Baxter, the owner of the boat, was on his phone near the front of the vessel when his dog, who typically barks from the front of the boat when at the dock, suddenly began barking from the back. According to Baxter, this unusual behavior immediately caught his attention.
“I was on my phone in the front of the boat, and my dog started barking in the back. He never does. He always barks at the front on the dock,” Baxter explained in an interview with 6 News. “I got up, looked, and the whole back of the boat was on fire.”
The fire quickly spread across the boat’s rear, but Baxter’s swift reaction, prompted by the dog’s warning, allowed him to escape unharmed. Fire crews from the Blount County Fire Protection District, alongside a fire boat deployed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), responded promptly to the scene.
Firefighters were able to contain the blaze and prevent further damage, though the boat was severely damaged. Baxter was rescued without injury, and authorities confirmed there were no other individuals on board at the time of the incident.
Matt Cameron, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, praised the quick response of the local fire department. “Thanks to the rapid deployment of resources and the alertness of the boat owner and his dog, the situation was contained before it escalated further,” Cameron said.
While the fire remains under investigation, Baxter remains grateful for his dog’s life-saving instincts. “I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if I hadn’t noticed the fire in time,” he said. “If it weren’t for my dog, I might not have made it out.”
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance when out on the water and how pets, often overlooked in emergencies, can sometimes be the difference between disaster and safety.
