Puppy rescued from South Hill house fire; family of four displaced

A South Hill family lost their home and most of their belongings to a fire Sunday but are grateful firefighters rescued their 4-month-old puppy, Bear.

The couple was grilling in their backyard about 6:25 p.m. when a faulty barbecue set fire to the outside of the two-story house, according to Graham Fire & Rescue.

The family was able to get outside before crews arrived in the 8500 block of 165th Court East and found the attic fully in flames.

Two fire crews went upstairs to extinguish the fire and make sure no one else was inside.

“They happened to flip over the bed and found the dog curled up in the corner of the bed,” department spokesman Steve Richards said. “One of the firefighters grabbed the dog and came outside with it.”

Firefighters gave Bear oxygen through a mask and cleaned soot off his white fur before reuniting him with his family.

The house is considered a total loss.

Bear, an English cream golden retriever, joined the family last month.

A fund-raising page has been set up for the family, which includes a 5-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy. Donations can be made at bit.ly/1SxM7BD.

This story was originally published July 20, 2015 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Puppy rescued from South Hill house fire; family of four displaced."