Dog dies after saving owner from fire A woman’s dog may have saved her life Nov. 13 when it barked until she stepped out of the shower and discovered her La Jolla Place apartment was ablaze, according to San Diego Fire Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque. The fire was reported around 9:45 p.m. on Chelsea Avenue and Sea Ridge Drive. The woman’s beloved pug alerted her to the fire, Luque said. She escaped her second-story apartment and then realized she forgot the very pet that saved her life. She turned to retrieve the animal but found the door locked, Luque said. “She couldn’t get back in and the dog died of smoke inhalation,” Luque said. “The dog was her best friend. She just kept saying, ‘The little dog saved my life’; she was just sick and heartbroken.” Officials said the fire accidentally started when smoking materials were improperly discarded. Flames were contained to the second story of one unit inside the complex. Four engines and two trucks carried about 30 firefighters to the scene, and it took about 15 minutes to knock down the fire, Luque said. Officials estimated structural damages at about $100,000, with $50,000 in damages to the apartment’s contents, he said. Quit tobacco at Great American Smokeout Extinguish that smoking habit starting today, Nov. 20, during the 32nd Great American Smokeout. If smokers are not prepared to quit immediately, they can at least make a plan. Started nationwide in 1976, the Smokeout is about inspiring and encouraging smokers to quit for one day. Today, 44 percent of the 45 million Americans who smoke have tried to quit for at least one day in the past year. The Great American Smokeout, organized by the American Cancer Society (ACS), is a chance to make a long-term plan to commit to quitting. Those who participate will receive free information on how to increase a smoker’s chances of successfully quitting. The ACS will provide other free resources, such as tips and tools for support networks of potential quitters. For more information, call (800) 227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org. Photo contest calls for entries La Jolla Village News and Nelson Photo are holding a photo contest for the best portrayals of “A November Day in La Jolla.” Entries will be judged in two categories: La Jolla residents (amateurs only) and students from La Jolla High or The Bishop’s School. Prizes will be awarded to the top three in each category. Winning photos also will be printed in the Village News. Entries must be dropped off by Dec. 3 at Nelson Photo Supplies, 7720 Fay Ave., where they will be displayed through Dec. 31. Only two entries per photographer are allowed. For information and complete rules, see page B·12.