Villages firefighters rescued a caged dog Tuesday from a roaring fire in Sumter County.
The Villages Public Safety Department crew from Engine 46 responded on automatic aid to a residential structure fire on County Road 535 in Sumter County and when they arrived, they discovered heavy black smoke coming from a 50-foot-by-50-foot area in the back of the residence that was fully involved in flames. A Sumter County Fire Rescue crew and a battalion chief also were on scene, a report states.
The Villages firefighters were assigned to a primary search of the area, as well as to provide water to a Sumter County Fire Rescue crew and pull a second hose line to attack the flames.
The firefighters from Engine 46 broke into two-man crews, with one group working to extinguish the fire and the other searching for victims. A short time later, Driver Engineer/Paramedic Chris Roberts located the trapped dog. He removed it from the cage and administered oxygen to the pet via a specialty K-9 mask Villages firefighters carry, the report says.
The dog was left in the care of the homeowner, who was advised by Roberts to take it to a veterinarian to have its paws and lungs checked.
