WMFD revive trapped dog after house fire

Fearless firefighters fend off ferocious flames freeing furry friend from fate

By DON WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

West Memphis _re _ghters kept a poor puppy from becoming a literal “hot dog” last week when under still snowy conditions on Friday, Feb. 21, the West Memphis Fire Department responded to a house _re at 351 Washington Ave. As ames engulfed the home, _re_ghters quickly sprang into action, battling the blaze while also facing another urgent crisis – a dog was trapped inside.

Among the _rst responders were Fire_ghter Robert Thornton and Captain Zach Bailey, who made entry during the initial _re attack. In the thick of smoke and ames, they managed to locate the dog and carry it out of the burning structure. But once outside, things looked grim.. The animal was unresponsive, barely clinging to life.

Refusing to give up, other _re_ghters, including Austin Buford and Paramedic Captain Kentrell Curry, rushed to administer oxygen using an animal face mask from a nearby amblance unit. For several tense moments, they worked to revive the lifeless pup, pumping 15 liters of oxygen to its pint-sized lungs. Then, just as hope seemed to fade,, the dog suddenly began to breathe again. Against all odds, it made a full recovery.

Fire Chief Barry Ealy commended his team for their heroic efforts, saying, “Great job, Battalion Chief Kevin Catt and the entire crew on C-Shift.”

As for the dog’s name? That detail remains unknown, but given the circumstances, “Lucky” seems like a pretty good _t. After all, surviving a _re and getting a second chance at life, that’s a comeback story worth barking about.

West Memphis fire fighters worked diligently to save the life of a dog trapped in a house fire.

Photos by WMFD

Whether on two legs or four, the WMFD is prepared to handle most, if not all, life threatening situations.