WESTMORELAND, N.Y. (WKTV) - A Westmoreland woman is awakened by smoke and fire officials say because of it, she probably saved her entire family.  Westmoreland firefighters were called to the home on Route 5 around midnight for smoke coming from the walls.  The investigation showed it was due to a faulty wood-burning stove hooked up to the chimney.
    
Ismet Kalic says his wife woke him up.

"I just come from working, I was sleeping, so deep.  She say, 'smoke, smoke.'  Leave me alone...she threw blanket from me, My God you could see nothing."
    
The Kalic family actually tried to put out the fire by throwing water on it until firefighters arrived.  A well-meaning, but ill-advised venture, says Westmoreland fire chief Jim Kimball.

 "If you have a fire at your house, go next door, call 911.  Don't stay in your house; safest thing is to get out, let us fight the fire."
    
The couple's 19-year-old daughter was also home at the time.
    
The Kalic family moved to Utica from Bosnia in 1999.  Two years ago, they bought their home in Westmoreland and were making it their dream home.

 "We just fixing everything, new walls, new ceiling, windows, doors,"  says Ismet Kalic.  Now, he says he feels like giving up.  The Kalics  must now wait to see if their insurance will cover the rebuilding.
    
Westmoreland's fire chief says because of the economy, a lot more people are using wood stoves.  He says if you didn't have yours inspected before this winter, doing so now could save your family's lives.