Fire destroys a house in O'Bryonville. | ZOOM |

Neighbors Bernee Cargile and Ronald Ross watch firefighters at work. | ZOOM | (Steven M. Herppich photos)

        Bernee Cargile's dogs have tipped her off to trouble in the neighborhood before. Ms. Cargile's chows were the first to notice a Christmas morning fire that gutted neighbor Richard Kidd's home at 3101 Cinnamon St. in O'Bryonville.

        The barkingcaused Ms. Cargile to look out the window, notice smoke coming from the roof and call for help.

        “I know my dogs' bark — it's a certain bark where I know there is something wrong,” said Ms. Cargile, whose dogs helped police nab a man trying to break into a church last month.

        “When I heard them, I looked out the window and could see just a little bit of smoke coming from the house,” she said.

        No one was home when the fire started. Mr. Kidd was just sitting down to a breakfast of grits, eggs and toast at his sister's house when Ms. Cargile called to say his home was in flames. Mr. Kidd's sons, ages 2 and 3, were at their grandmother's home.

        Officials are still investigating the cause, but believe the fire originated in the basement. Two of Mr. Kidd's nieces, ages 15 and 16, also live in the house but were not home when the fire started.

        Mr. Kidd stood watched as firefighters threw his possessions from a second floor window. A dresser, bed frame and smoldering mattress landed on the front lawn with a thud.

        “I don't care so much about that stuff, but my boy just made a painting of his footprints and I had it framed on the wall down in the living room,” Mr. Kidd said.

        “It's the first thing he's made for me. That's the kind of thing that's hard to lose.”

        Cincinnati firefighter Paul Fries suffered minor injuries when the first floor collapsed. Mr. Fries was treated at University Hos pital and released.

        Assistant Fire Chief Mose Demasi said the collapsed floor made fighting the fire difficult.

        “It made it impossible for us to get in there and tear out the wall,” Mr. Demasi said. “We had to go into the basement and spray water up at the fire.”

        Mr. Demasi said the house was a total loss, and estimated the damage at $75,000.

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