Lutz Dog Saved From House Fire Meets Her Rescuers

LUTZ, FL -- She may not remember the intense heat and excruciating pain as the flames lapped around the dog kennel she was locked in, scorching her fur and skin.

And, in the midst of her terror that day, Denali the Staffordshire terrier most likely has no memory of the firefighters dressed in full bunker gear, helmets and protective masks who released her from the inferno and carried her to safety.

But there was something about her eager, trusting nature as she walked into Pasco Fire Rescue Station 23 at 21300 State Road 54, Lutz, that told them she was grateful.

Nearly six weeks after she was rescued from a burning house in Lutz. Denali was reunited with the firefighters responsible for saving her life on Wednesday, Oct. 3.

It was a different dog than the one the firefighters encountered on Aug 25 when they were called to a two-alarm fire at 23547 Turtle Lakes Road in Lutz. They arrived to find the house fully engulfed in flames, the fire so intense that they were unable to enter the house until they tackled the flames from above.

When it was finally safe for the firefighters to enter, they encountered a heart-breaking sight -- two dogs locked inside kennels inside the fire-ravaged home.

The flames had seared both Denali and Esco, her companion, but the dogs were alive.

The firefighters learned after investigators finished combing through the destruction that three rooms in the house had been intentionally doused with gasoline to make sure the fire spread quickly. Investigators found evidence as well that gasoline had been poured on the two dogs before the fire was lit.

Firefighters said it was a miracle the dogs survived at all. Usually humans and pets die of smoke inhalation long before the flames ever reach them.

Denali's injuries were most severe. She had third-degree burns and her chances of survival were slim. But the veterinarians at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Tampa discovered the dog had a strong will to live.

After several surgeries, mega doses of antibiotics to prevent infections and painful debridement of the dead and damaged skin, Denali is on her way to recovery.

And that's all the firefighters needed to see.

Images via Pasco Fire Rescue

Related stories:
Husband Speaks Out On Lutz Woman Who Set Fire To Home And Dogs
There's New Hope For Dog Set On Fire By Owner
Fate Of Dog Burned When Owner Set Fire To House Uncertain
Lutz Woman Charged With Setting Fire To Home With 8 Dogs Inside

(For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)