SUNSET, La. (KLFY) -- In St. Landry Parish, firefighters with the Sunset Volunteer Fire Department made a life saving rescue this week.

Wednesday afternoon, Sunset firefighters responded to a house fire on Jerry Lane. An elderly woman and her three dogs were inside the house when firefighters arrived.

Sunset Fire Chief Kevin Smith said it took about seven minutes to complete the rescue. The woman was unresponsive when firefighters found her and she suffered minor burns.

Smith said the woman and one of her dogs was given CPR by emergency medical services.

One of the factors that saved the woman before they got there was that her bedroom door was closed, Smith said.

"She closed the bedroom door, which was real big in saving her life," he said.

Although this is not the biggest fire his department has responded to, it is the first saved life that the Sunset Fire Department has made in the decades it has been open.

"Making a save like this is huge for a department like this. This department was organized in 1937 and from my understanding is the first in its history," he said.

The fire was determined to have started from a shortage in an electrical wire on side of the house. Smith said around this time of year, fire departments tend to get more calls about electrical-related fires.

Smith said his firefighters are not only volunteers with the Sunset Fire Department, but also career firefighters with other departments. He said this save is not only an achievement for his department, but for the firefighters who helped saved a life.

"It's quite an accomplishment for I say, for a volunteer fire department, because it it's rare even in career fire departments that, you know, they're able to make saves and things like that," he said.

Smith said it's a blessing and he's honored to be able to work with such experienced firefighters.

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