JACKSON — An Ocean County dog is being called a hero for waking up his owner after a fire started in a trash can early Sunday morning.

Marley is credited by Jackson Police for jumping onto his owner's bed inside their home in the Southwind Mobile Home Development off East Veterans Highway after a fire started just after 3 a.m. The man, whose identity was not disclosed by police, told police the home's smoke detectors were going off when he woke up and saw an orange glow coming from the kitchen.

The pair escaped out the bedroom window and were outside the home when firefighters arrived, police said. The man was not injured.

The owner of the home told police he had dumped an ashtray into the trash before he went to bed.

The man's daughter told New Jersey 101.5 that Marley is a mixed breed and was a rescue.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

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