FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Authorities released the frantic 911 call a teen made after a fire broke out inside his home in Fort Lauderdale, telling officers his dog was trapped inside.
The fire sparked Tuesday inside the home on the 700 block of Northwest 12th Terrace.
A teen who was inside at the time it started called 911 to report the flames.
“Something’s on fire inside my house,” he told dispatchers.
The teen told dispatchers the fire appeared to start in the kitchen.
“It’s like the stove, the stove; it was hot oil,” he said.
He and his sister, who was also inside the home, managed to get out safely and called their mom.
“So I basically got the phone call while I was at work, and all I heard was my daughter screaming, saying, ‘The house is on fire! The house is on fire,’” said the children’s mother, who didn’t want to be identified.
The kids’ concern quickly shifted to the family’s dog, Rocky, who they told dispatchers was still trapped inside.
“Are there any other people or animals trapped inside the building?” the dispatcher asked the teen.
“Yeah, it’s an animal inside, but everybody’s out, but I think he’s inside of the room,” the teen told dispatchers.
Fire officials said an officer ran inside the burning apartment to rescue Rocky before firefighters arrived.
“One of the officers went in before we got here to try and find the dog. The officer right now has suffered from smoke inhalation, and we are transporting her to Broward [Health Medical Center],” said Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Mike Salzano.
The officer was treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation and released later that day.
Her heroic efforts to find Rocky helped firefighters get the dog out safely.
“I’m just grateful everybody’s good, everybody’s alive, the dog is alive, because they were really worried about the dog. So I’m just glad everybody’s alive, because only God knows,” said the mother.
The American Red Cross will be assisting the family.
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