Firefighters save dog’s life

MEADOW LAKES — A dog named Harmony was being treated Monday for injuries suffered in a Saturday-morning fire.

Firefighters from the West Lakes, Central Mat-Su, Houston and Willow fire departments were sent to the home on W. Silver Drive at 5:57 a.m.

“The home was originally a single-room log cabin that had an approximately 1,500-square-foot multi-story wood frame addition. The fire appears, we’re not positive, to have been started in the area around the wood stove in the older log cabin area,” West Lakes Fire Chief Bill Gamble said in an email Monday afternoon.

Firefighters arriving on scene talked to the homeowner and her husband. The husband said he tried to put the fire out with a dry chemical fire extinguisher, but “realized quickly it was out of control” and dialed 911, Gamble said.

As the family was waiting for fire trucks to arrive, the family’s Great Dane, Harmony, ran back inside. When fire trucks got there, the house was fully involved.

“The owner alerted us that the everyone was out of the house except the dog. At this point, Central Mat-Su Fire Officer Lt. Skip Kula and firefighters Mads Mobely and Brandon Goentzel went into the burning structure to search the structure for the dog while another team of firefighters worked on fighting the fire,” Gamble wrote.

The dog was unconscious and unresponsive when they pulled her out of the basement of the house. At the front door medics took over, resuscitating the dog.

“Mat-Su Borough Animal Care Officer Darla Erskine arrived and transported Harmony to the Big Lake-Susitna Veterinary Hospital, where medical care was continued,” Gamble said.

He said the dog was eventually sent home, but was back for a follow-up Monday afternoon. The house was declared a total loss.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.