Days after wildfire, AP reporter reunites dog with his owner

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By BRIAN SKOLOFF

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. (AP) — Lawrence Ross looked beat, his head hanging and his eyes bloodshot five days after fleeing his home in the path of a wall of flames.

Ross showed up at a high school in the small Northern California town of Lower Lake, where authorities were escorting residents briefly into the evacuation zone to inspect their homes and check on pets and livestock. They had not let residents return since the fire erupted Saturday about 100 miles north of San Francisco, scorching thousands of acres and reducing more than 800 homes to ash.

When told officials were no longer letting residents in at all, not even with escorts, Ross sighed heavily, shook his head and fought back tears. "I think my house is OK, but I don't know, and my dog is there, and my goats and horses and alpacas," he told me. "My dog, my dog."

I had been covering the fire for much of the week and was planning to head back out to scout for more stories. So I grabbed my map and said, "Show me where your house is. I'll swing by while I'm out there."

FULL story at link.


In this Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015, photo, Associated Press reporter Brian Skoloff pets "Thumper," a 70-pound lab, moments after the dog crawled out from beneath a crawl space of her owner's home, covered in ash and soot in a wildfire evacuation zone near Middletown, Calif. Skoloff returned the dog to his owner Lawrence Ross. Officials had not let residents return since the fire erupted about 100 miles north of San Francisco, scorching thousands of acres and reducing more than 800 homes to ash. Thumper survived among homes burned to their foundations and the five days she had been alone at the house that miraculously remained unscathed. (AP Photo/Brian Skoloff)

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/1fbee38802ab4a2182c30d5ecba04ee8/owner-dog-reunited-aftermath-california-wildfire

[stopwastingmymoney]

1. Wow

Among so many terrible stories this week, this is the one that makes me cry.

Helps a little to restore one's faith in humanity.

And dogs, dogs are just the best, aren't they?

[Raine1967]

2. My allergies seem to be affecting me right now.

What a wonderful story.

[etherealtruth]

3. I think I have the same allergies ... I need tissue! n/t

[Raine1967]

10. here you go:

[jschurchin]

6. Join the club. nt

[Raine1967]

11. best allergies I have had in a long time…

[hamsterjill]

7. Can't be just allergies because it's contagious.

I seem to have it, as well.

But may I just say....Yippppppeeeeeee!!!!

[Raine1967]

9. ME too!

[greatlaurel]

4. Thanks for posting this little bit of good news. This needs more reporting for the victims.

This has been a massive tragedy.

So glad for Thumper and Mr. Ross and the rest of his animals. Glad his place survived.

[mountain grammy]

5. So many lost so much. I'm happy for this man.

[niyad]

8. dan--a lot of dust in here!!!

[Botany]

12. Thumper!

whose a good doggie? is dat my thumper?

got something in my eye too

[red dog 1]

13. K&R...Thanks for posting, Omaha Steve

We need more stories like this, and so do all the evacuees up here in Lake County, CA.

Bless Thumper's heart; and bless AP reporter Brian Skoloff for his good deed.

[retrowire]

14. Good dog. :) n/t

[passiveporcupine]

15. Over 800 homes burned

And how many animals?



He was so lucky and that dog sounds like such a sweetheart! I got my flu shot already, but I've caught whatever it is you guys are passing around.