Man runs past firefighters to rescue dog from burning home
A man disregarded the shouts from firefighters and rushed into his burning home to rescue the family dog.
Flames were shooting from the Pala, Calif., house as firefighters began spraying water from a safe distance. But resident José Guzman knew his dog was hiding inside and ran past the firefighters. He heard their calls to stop and hesitated for a second but then rushed into the blaze.
A cell phone video shows Guzman emerging from the burning house with his dog.
When asked why he risked his life for the animal, Guzman said, “She’s been with us forever. She’s part of the family. We love her.”
The dog was hiding in the bathroom, ABC-13 reports, the only part of the house that was not burning. Guzman reportedly had burns on his face and hands.
Guzman and his family lost nearly all their possessions in the fire, including the construction and landscaping tools he uses to earn a living. A GoFundMe site has been established to help the family recover.
Steven Adams is a Tribune-Review manager/photography. You can contact Steven at sadams@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.