Tony Wells’ chickens usually don’t cackle and squawk at 3:30 in the morning, so when he heard them raising a ruckus at that time Wednesday, he went outside to investigate.

What he found was his father’s home across the street engulfed in flames. The 27-year-old ran into the house on Chambersville Road in Rayne, Indiana County, and led David Wells Jr., 49, to safety.

“Who would’ve thought chickens would make good smoke detectors?” said Peter Yacovone, chief of the Creekside Volunteer Fire Co. “If the son hadn’t come and got him, we would’ve been fishing a body out of there.”

He continued, “[Mr. Wells] is broken-hearted, but he’s good. He got out in the nick of freakin’ time.”

The fire, believed to have been electrical in nature, started in the garage and spread to the second story and attic of the home, leaving it standing but heavily damaged, the chief said.

Also fighting the fire, which was brought under control in about two hours, were departments from Indiana, Plumville, Coal Run, Clymer and Elderton. Chief Yacovone said there were so many firefighters at the scene that he lost count of them all.

He said their efforts were complicated by low-lying power lines that crossed the road directly in front of Mr. Wells’ house. The fire departments came at the house from two directions and fought the fire from both sides. The fire rekindled about 9:40 a.m. but did not cause any more significant damage. No other nearby houses were damaged.

David Wells could not be reached for comment after the fire, but his former wife, Joan Wells, said by telephone later that the couple had raised their four children in the house. The family stayed close to one another, with Tony living next door, Ms. Wells living three miles up the road and the farthest child only a half hour away.

“The house that burned is the house we lived in as a family. My kids lived there. It was our house and now it’s gone and everything in it,” she said.

Mr. Wells, who works at HB Global in Blairsville, initially wanted to go back into the house, but Tony Wells, who used to be a firefighter, wouldn’t let him, she said.

With help from family, friends and the Red Cross, Ms. Wells and her children are working to get clothes and other essentials for Mr. Wells.

“It’s really not going to hit him until later,” Ms. Wells said. “I’m thinking [it will Wednesday night] when he has no home to go to.”

Lauren Rosenblatt: lrosenblatt@post-gazette.com

First Published: June 29, 2016, 1:35 p.m.