Firefighter Consoles Lost Dog With One Hand While Putting Out Fire With the Other Amid California Wildfires

Patrice Winter was busy making pastries in the kitchen of her California bakery when she spotted a plume of black smoke. Before she could grasp what was happening, she received news about the Palisades fire. She had experienced many wildfires before, but nothing like this. Now she had to evacuate her bakery. “It’s like Armageddon,” she told the Los Angeles Times. Not just the Palisades fire, Los Angeles County is currently raging with multiple wildfires including Eaton Fire, Sunset Fire, and Hurst Fire. Amidst this smoldering blaze, choking sooty smoke, and whipping winds, the weary firefighters are wrangling to douse the fire.

One firefighter particularly displayed heroic courage as he consoled a frightened dog while grappling with the fire extinguisher in one hand. Millions of people are lauding the man after watching his footage shared by ABC News on social media. The 30-second footage shows this brave firefighter surrounded by an inferno of wildly gushing embers in the California neighborhood of Altadena. He appeared to be spraying the fire-quelling liquid on the flames with a hose. As lighting crackled and the fiery wind slapped the flames, the video showed a dog standing on the ground, shivering with terror. In the background, a wooden structure was collapsing in the glaring wildfire.

Looking hither-tither in shock, the dog slowly trotted down a paved road. Just then the firefighter approached the pup and tenderly brushed its head while still carrying the fire hose in his other hand. The fire continued to blaze and the fireman continued trying to extinguish it. But amidst all of this, the dog found safety under the palms of this kind-hearted man who didn’t forget to show some love during an emergency. Later on, ABC News reported that a local rescue facility spotted the dog on the charred street and took it in their safety.

On YouTube, tons of people jumped in to show appreciation for the brave firefighter. “Thank you for being a dog lover and knowing how to approach him calmly. His paws must be hurting,” said @sharyk808. @dianecarter186 wrote that these firefighters were “like angels” who showed love to the dog amid all this destruction. Commenting on the havoc that these wildfires have unleashed, @pamelat-r8s said, “This is devastating. It’s so sad to watch this.”

Many people empathized with how the dog must have gone pale on seeing all this fire. “I can imagine the PTSD that dog would probably have,” said @cedricksamaniego9146. @snoogable wondered, “I'm sure the pup is thirsty.” @SarahTheNearlyInSP commented furiously, “Who the **** left their dog there?? That poor baby should be rehomed!” Others expressed anger at the poor doggo’s owners who abandoned it to the flaring flames. Others sent prayers hoping that the scared pup would be reunited with its owners. 

On Instagram, Joey Ybarra (@jowiitv) revealed in a comment that he was one of the members of the ABC News camera crew who filmed the entire scene. He assured people that although the dog was distraught and scared, he was now safe in the hands of a Good Samaritan. In a later comment, Christopher Abkarian (@klutch_k9) shared that he was the one who found the dog and rescued it into his property. "I rescued this dog today! He is in my facility," he wrote. People spouted blessings for the two men and praised their kind efforts.

Fortunately, the pup has been rescued to safety, but the Eaton fire shown in the footage has ravaged the area into rubble and ash. CBS News reported that the Eaton fire has burned more than 10,000 acres of land and created a haze of smoke above the neighborhood. In Altadena, dozens of businesses and homes have been destroyed. “The smoke is so intense that it is blocking out the sun,” one reporter covering the scene, shared. “It seems like everything is on fire!”