A Richland couple have their dogs to thank for alerting them that their house was on fire late Monday.

It was just after 11 p.m. and Ron and Toni Ciola were awake and watching TV in their home at 2414 Alexander Ave. when their dogs started panicking and the couple didn't know why, said Richland Fire Marshal Kurt Hubele.

They looked around and went outside and that's when they saw their roof on fire, he said.

"The fire started right above them when they were watching TV," he said.

The blaze was started by a fireplace ember that landed on the wood-shake roof, igniting it and some leaves on the roof, Hubele said.

The fire burned into the attic and flames were shooting out of the roof and garage when Richland fire crews arrived.

Fifteen firefighters with three engines from Richland and one from Benton Fire District 4 in West Richland responded.

No one was hurt. The couple and two dogs and one cat were able to safely get out, but one cat is still missing, Hubele said.

Damage to the house, which is not livable, is estimated at about $150,000, he said. The home was insured.

As the weather starts getting colder, more and more families will turn to fireplaces and woodstoves to keep warm.

Hubele said residents should make sure the chimneys are cleaned and inspected before using them for the season.

The Ciolas had the chimney cleaned and inspected and no defects were found, he said.

"It was just really bad luck," Hubele said, adding that the only thing that may have helped is having a screen on the chimney that keeps embers from flying out.

Wood-shake roofs are also no longer allowed on new homes built in Richland, he said, but homes previously built with those roofs are allowed to keep and maintain them.