Butte County Sheriff Office search and rescue member Trevor Skaggs flew a helicopter and ran 2.4km to save the mother and her puppies. Photo: Butte County Sheriff Office/Facebook
By Sam Cabral, BBC News
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 when his truck broke down as he evacuated the area on Wednesday.
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.
Photo: Butte County Sheriff Office/Facebook
The fire has burned through more than 360,000 acres - an area slightly larger than the city of Los Angeles - and is only 12 percent contained, officials said on Sunday.
More than 8000 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 on Sunday.
But the man later provided the police with the location of the vehicle.
Though the remote area was not immediately accessible as the fire rapidly spread, 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.
Photo: Butte County Sheriff Office/Facebook
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 will appear in court later on Monday.
- BBC
