Quick thinking by some passersby, along with help from Langley Home Depot staff, may have saved a dog that was trapped inside a burning van on Wednesday morning.
Kevin Kotz, who delivers flowers, was at the Home Depot parking lot around 8 a.m. when he saw smoke coming from an older camper van.
Staff from the Home Depot came out with fire extinguishers and were attempting to douse the blaze when a passerby named Gary thought to look in the windows to make sure no one was inside.
“Thank goodness he had the foresight to look inside,” said Kotz. “Gary shouted ‘there is a dog in there.’”
A staff member used the fire extinguisher to break a window and gain access to the dog. Kotz snapped a picture of two men pulling the bulldog out while white smoke billowed from the van.
“It was good timing, because that van was completely covered in smoke in the inside,” he said.
Township firefighters arrived and were able to knock down the fire quickly. Firefighters provided oxygen for one of the dog rescuers and to the dog as well.
“We were able to use the new pet O2 mask on the dog. I think that is the first time we’ve used it and it worked well,” said assistant fire chief Pat Walker.
Mountain View Veterinary Hospital Dr. Renee Ferguson held a fundraising campaign in May to outfit Township fire trucks with pet oxygen masks.
The fundraiser helped outfit fire departments with pet oxygen mask kits in the Township, Langley City and Abbotsford.
The owner of the van arrived, said Kotz, and was very grateful to Gary and the others.
“He thanked everyone and was happy to see his dog well,” he said.
Fire departments don’t investigate vehicle fires, instead handing over the incident to ICBC.