A first responder ran 1.5 miles (2.4km) through a fire-ravaged part of California to rescue two dogs and their litter of puppies, police say.
The animals’ owner was forced to leave them behind on Wednesday after his truck broke down as he rushed to flee as flames tore through an area near Campbellville, about 115 miles north of Sacramento.
Trevor Skaggs found the Rottweilers on Saturday “alive, but tired and very thirsty” – although the adult male dog did not survive.
The Park Fire in northern California is one of the largest the state has ever seen.
The fire has burned through more than 370,000 acres – an area slightly larger than the city of Los Angeles – and is only 12% contained, officials said on Monday. It’s become the sixth largest blaze in the state’s history and has tore through more than 100 structures.
More than 8,000 residents, across two counties, have so far been forced to evacuate.
One resident’s truck – containing the two adult dogs and their four puppies – broke down during the frantic effort to flee, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post.
But after he was able to get to safety, he provided police with the location of the vehicle.
Though the remote area was not immediately accessible as the fire rapidly spread, Mr Skaggs was flown by helicopter to a nearby point on Saturday and then ran to the location, according to police.
After finding the animals, he fed them water and bites from his protein bar, before leading them back to the chopper.
The dogs were later flown to Chico Airport and are now in the care of the North Valley Animal Disaster Group, a local animal rescue organisation.
“It’s been a horrific few days for our community and we are grateful to be able to share this amazing story,” the sheriff’s office said.
NVADG says it has taken in more than 60 large animals, including cows and horses, as well as 80 small animals, mostly pets, since the fire was started by a burning car less than a week ago.
Triple-digit temperatures and gusty winds have contributed to the Park Fire’s rapid growth.
Local authorities believe a man ignited the blaze on Wednesday when he pushed his burning car into a gully at Alligator Hole.
The man – Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico – was arrested on Thursday and is set to appear in court later on Monday.
The blaze is one of more than 100 burning across the West Coast that have destroyed buildings and caused widespread evacuations.
In Canada, there are more than 800 active wildfires, including a massive blaze in Alberta. It’s tore through the town of Jasper – destroying about 33% of buildings – and continues to burn through the scenic Jasper National Park.
