Man dies after going back inside burning home to save family dog, officials say

ATLANTA (ANF/Gray News) — A man in Georgia died after officials said he rescued a family dog from a house fire on Sunday.

Officials said Captain, the dog, fortunately survived the house fire in Lilburn.

Firefighters responded to the house around 6:30 p.m. after a caller reported the house was actively burning and that people were still inside.

When they arrived, crews found the home in flames and said they received reports of a man trapped inside. Firefighters were able to rescue one victim from the entryway.

“It was very sad, very sad. It was horrible to see. They don’t see the fire when it started, everybody was sleeping who was around,” a neighbor said.

Officials said the house was extensively damaged by the fire, and crews took one victim to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

One Lilburn police officer suffered minor injuries and was examined and released. Another person was also assessed and released, the Gwinnett Fire Department said.

Two people were in the home when the fire began, according to officials. They said one of the people noticed the flames and woke his mother to escape the home.

A neighbor then helped the mother get to safety before firefighters arrived. The son went back into the house to try to rescue the family dog.

He later died, but the dog survived and was taken in by a neighbor.

The mother is currently displaced, and the neighbor said they are trying to find a permanent home for the dog.

The victim’s identity has not yet been released.