Bay County, FL – The daring and devoted home owner who made it out of his burning house safely, quickly realized he was missing someone…his dog. Racing back into the flames shooting from his burning home, he rescued his dog, while putting his own life at great risk. Piles of burned rubbish and broken glass are all that remain of this house fire that broke out late last night on East Avenue in Bay County. Although it has not been confirmed, it appears the cause of the fire was a cooking accident.
Although extremely heroic, Assistant Chief of the Panama City Fire Department, Wayne Watts, strongly advises against acts of this nature by the home owners or bystanders. “What happens is, we end up with two victims, rather than one. The conditions change so rapidly, that what appears to be a relatively quick, safe grab, can very quickly turn into a death trap,” said Watts. Studies on disaster evacuation show that only 40% of pet owners are prepared to evacuate their pets with the rest of the family. The remaining 60% evacuate without their pets, and then risk their own lives by returning home prematurely to rescue their animals.
The owner of the greatful dog did not walk away completely unharmed; he suffers from a few miner burns. The structure of the home remains, however all material items are ruined. Had it not been for the swift reaction of the homeowner, the dog was sure to have been lost in the fire.
Watts suggests to have a plan in place so to avoid the possibility of having to run back into a fire to rescue a pet. “It’s probably a good idea to have one of the little portable kennels that the pet can sleep in at night. That way it’s a matter of having that close by, and as you escape you can take the kennel along with you.” If your pet sleeps in the same room with you, keep the door closed so in the event of an emergency, you will know where they are. A highly recommended tip from the fire department is to use the Pet Rescue Stickers to alert rescuers that pets are inside.
Although it is recommended for pet owners not to go back into a fire to rescue a pet, how would you be able to resist the pull of saving your pet?
