Lodi firefighter Craig Copulus rescues Buttercup the dog on Thursday afternoon, after a fire broke out in a house on Colette Street. (Whitney Ramirez/News-Sentinel)

Fire and smoke damage Lodi home

Terry Lopez Sr. was taking a nap Thursday and his wife, Rita, was packing for a short vacation when they smelled smoke.

Rita Lopez opened the door of their bedroom to find a hallway full of smoke, she said. They didn't know what was burning but they got out of the house — Terry Lopez later recalled that the doorknob of the front door was hot.

Nobody was injured when their home in the 1800 block of Colette Street caught fire shortly before 3 p.m., but the house had major interior damage.

Firefighters rescued their nephew's small fluffy dog, Buttercup, from inside the home.

Fire crews were still removing debris, including the shell of what had been a couch, an hour later. The fire apparently started in the living room near the couch and began smoldering, Battalion Chief Ron Heberle said.

The Lopez couple were soon sitting on their neighbors' front porch, both noting that their hair was slightly singed.

Lodi firefighters Trevor Lambert, left, and Geremy Quaglia remove the burnt remains of a couch involved in Thursday afternoon's house fire in the 1800 block of Colette Street. The fire had apparently started in the living room. No one was injured in the fire. (Whitney Ramirez/News-Sentinel)

Firefighters moved in and out of the gray house, at one point carrying in shovels so they could remove some of the debris created when they removed part of the ceiling to make sure the fire hadn't and wouldn't spread.

A neighbor had begun dousing the fire with a garden hose before fire trucks arrived, and nearby residents gathered to watch after trucks filled the street.

Family members also arrived, some of whom live around the corner to the west and others to the east.

The Lopezes had been planning a road trip to Mexico, but they weren't sure of their plans after the fire broke out. They said they've lived in the house since 1972 and have never experienced a fire.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.