Dog News

Dog Miraculously Emerges from the Rubble of a Two-Alarm House Fire

by Melanie

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Tragedy struck a Buffalo family early this morning when a two-alarm fire claimed the lives of two fathers, and injured three children.  But a ray of light graced the day when the family dog, trapped inside and believed to have perished, safely made his way out of the rubble as the house was demolished.

The cause is unknown, but the home, located at Litchfield and Humber Avenues in Buffalo, New York, quickly became engulfed in flames, forcing residents to flee.  After going back in and rescuing his badly burned eight-year-old daughter, Demetrius Johnson rushed back inside for his sons.

His youngest, 15-month-old Demaris Johnson, was already safe, but he grabbed his 3-year-old, Demetrius Johnson Jr., before collapsing.  Firefighters hurried in just then.

 

 

The blaze broke out around 4 am on Friday, February 19th, 2016.
The blaze broke out around 4 am on Friday, February 19th, 2016.

 

 

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“They found him behind the couch, and little Demetrius Jr. on the couch,” Lorez Collier said of her son and grandson.

Another man living upstairs did not make it out, but his nephew did.

Treasure Brighon, 8, suffered burns from head to foot – covering 90 percent of her body – and was flown to Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The boys were taken to Women and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo for smoke inhalation.

Their mother, Tempest Thomas, was not injured, and will be driving to Cincinnati to accompany her daughter.  Police have given her gas cards to help with her travel expenses.

 

 

Demetrius Johnson Sr. and his three children.
Demetrius Johnson Sr. and his three children.

 

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The downstairs family had just moved into the home a week ago.  Witnesses attribute the fire to the poor conditions of the house, which is owned by Sayara Uddin, who lives in Brooklyn.  A resident on a neighboring street said there were problems with hot water and basement flooding, and that the front door didn’t close properly.

“People lost their lives because of these slum landlords out here,” a witness said.

Gary Matthews, who lives across the street, said he had never seen a building catch fire so quickly.

“By the time I put my robe on, the whole house was in flames,” he said.

Later in the day, a demolition crew arrived to tear down the house.  While in the process, a dog peeked his head out from the wreckage and made his way outside.

 

 

A demolition crew beginning to knock down the ruins.
A demolition crew beginning to knock down the ruins.

 

 

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“He just seemed like he was kind of in shock, he didn’t know where to go when he got out,” Merle Steele told Eyewitness News 7.  “So we picked him up and put him in the truck and fed him some doughnuts.

“The dog was definitely in the fire.  He was in the basement, which was flooded – couldn’t get down there until my brother tore the house down… it’s amazing that the dog is still alive.”

The confused but uninjured pit bull has been taken to McClelland Small Animal Hospital for the time being.  It is unclear with which family he lived, but it is certainly a miracle that he survived this deadly fire, and will hopefully bring some consolation to them during their time of grief.

 

 

Seeking refuge in the basement saved this boy's life.
Seeking refuge in the basement saved this boy’s life.

 

 

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