NEED TO KNOW

• Phillip, a poodle, accidentally caught fire while searching for food near a lit candle in his home

• The incident occurred three days before Phillip competed in the Crufts dog show, where he placed second in his category

• Phillip’s owners, who have 10 other dogs, are now prioritizing fire safety and avoiding lit candles around their pets

A poodle named Phillip had a close call while looking for some food.

In a video captured by Nakita O’Hare Wilson’s living room camera, Phillip went exploring on a table for a tasty treat, only to catch fire when he got too near a lit candle.

“He was sniffing the table to try and see if there was anything he could eat,” Nakita, 35, told SWNS. “And as he pounced on the side of his hair, just above his ear caught on fire.”

Her husband, Kenneth, was sitting on the couch watching TV, and almost didn’t even notice that Phillip was on fire. Once the pup’s right ear went up in flames, Kenneth immediately jumped into action, shouting “fire” and “f— sake!”

“Kenneth completely panicked and by the time I came in, it was hard to tell what happened,” Nakita said. Thankfully, Kenneth was able to extinguish the fire, but Nakita was confused about what exactly had occurred when she walked into the room.

“But I think the smell of burning and my husband’s reaction gave me a hint that it was not good,” she recalled.

Phillip’s fire accident happened three days before he was set to compete in the Toy Poodle Good Citizen category at the Crufts dog show. The Scottish couple had been grooming the dog since January.

“We took him back to the groomers on the Friday —and they did such a good job,” Nakita said. “You couldn’t really tell anything had happened.”

Phillip was able to clean up nicely, and received second place at the dog competition, making Nakita a “proud dog mom.”

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In addition to Phillip, the couple has 10 other dogs, including one Italian greyhound and nine miniature dachshunds. They are now putting a major focus on maintaining fire safety in the house.

“The candle has been moved to the side table now and I have not lit one since,” Nakita said.

“No matter how well-trained or behaved your dog is, you can’t be too careful,” she added. “So don’t leave lit candles in easy to reach places for yours pets!”

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