Gerry Finn said his black bunny, named Rabbit, began scratching loudly at the door about 30 minutes after Finn had arrived home from work and fallen asleep, the Melbourne Herald Sun reported Thursday.

Finn said he and his wife, Michelle, went to investigate the ruckus and found Rabbit was alerting them to a blaze that spread through the back of their home.

Part of the house's roof was destroyed in the fire and much of the home's interior was blackened by smoke. Investigators said the fire may have been started by a heater.

"We were both asleep. It was very lucky for both of us," Michelle Finn said.