Gardener, neighbor alert woman to Mission Viejo garage fire

A gardener and a neighbor alerted a sleeping woman to a garage fire in Mission Viejo, helping her escape with her two dogs, NBC Los Angeles reported. No injuries were reported.

The woman's family credited the gardener's actions with helping save her, the dogs and the home. The cause remains undetermined; the family's suspicion that a charging e-bike battery exploded has not been confirmed.

The gardener was working in the yard when he noticed flames and smoke, according to NBC Los Angeles. Surveillance footage showed fire inside the garage and smoke coming from it.

Joanna Gonzalez, the daughter of the woman who escaped, said her mother was asleep inside the home. The gardener and a neighbor rang the doorbell, waking her.

The woman got outside safely with her two dogs. The gardener then used a hose to spray the garage until firefighters arrived, NBC Los Angeles reported. His name was not disclosed.

The Orange County Fire Authority confirmed that the fire broke out shortly after 7 a.m. Thursday, according to the report. The exact calendar date was not provided.

The family suspects a battery on an e-bike that was charging exploded and started the fire. That account is not a confirmed finding about the cause.

Gonzalez expressed gratitude to the gardener, crediting him with protecting her mother, the dogs and the house, NBC Los Angeles reported.