Burglar bars are clearly (top and bottom photo) visible in a home damaged by fire Thursday. A resident had to find the key to unlocked the burglar bars in order to escape the burning building. His pet dog was not so fortunate and died of smoke inhalation. (Photos courtesy of Kingsville Fire Chief Al Lopez) A tragedy could have happened if a resident had not found the keys to the burglar bars and escaped from a burning home Thursday morning, but his dog was not so lucky because it died from smoke inhalation.

Kingsville Fire Chief Al Lopez is concerned about the dangers of burglar bars because residents cannot get out and the firemen cannot enter a burning premise.

“I am totally against burglar bars because people panic and the smoke prevents them from finding the keys,” Lopez said Friday.

Lopez noted that the college student, 20, was lucky he found the keys in time to escape the burning house.

He believes the student went to the bedroom and found the keys there, then went to the front door to open the burglar bars.

Two other college students live at the home in the 800 block of North First, but they were not there when the blaze occurred.

The three-bedroom house has burglar bars at all the windows and doors.

The fire is believed to have started at an electrical outlet.

The Fire Chief is concerned that many elderly people live in homes with burglar bars because they think they are safe, but there is a real dangerous issue.

“It has been a concern of mine for a long time whether the city could do anything about burglar bars,” Lopez said. He plans to talk to city officials soon concerning this problem.

He warns Kingsville residents to be aware there is a real problem for their safety.

“This can turn into a real tragedy,” Lopez said.