A delivery person spotted smoke pouring from a home on the 400 block of North Michillinda Avenue in Pasadena on Wednesday, September 9, and heard a dog barking frantically inside. That 911 call set off a rescue that ended with a Shetland sheepdog named Milo unconscious, revived with an oxygen mask, and reunited with his rescuers days later.
The fire broke out in the 400 block of N. Michillinda Ave., according to SGV CityWatch. Milo's owner, Fernando, was out of the country when the fire occurred, and his wife and children had left Milo home alone while running errands, according to CBS News. Ring camera footage captured Arcadia firefighters breaking a front-side window to get inside, per the same report.
The fire happened within Pasadena and pulled in crews from Sierra Madre and Arcadia. The Verdugo Fire Communications Center is based out of Glendale Fire Station 21 and manages coverage across 49 fire stations serving more than 944,000 residents, according to the City of Glendale.
A Rookie Firefighter's First Active Blaze
Jessica Johnson, a second-year Sierra Madre firefighter, was responding to her first active house fire when she was ordered inside the burning home, the CBS report notes. Using a thermal imaging camera and following her captain's orders, she searched the structure and found Milo hiding under a table in the living room, behind a window.
That instinct to hide rather than flee is common among pets caught in house fires. Johnson reentered the home three times before pulling Milo out.
By the time Milo emerged, he had suffered major smoke inhalation and was unconscious. Johnson handed him off to a team equipped with an animal oxygen mask, according to CBS News. Those specialized masks use cone-shaped rubber seals that fit tightly over an animal's muzzle, forcing pure oxygen directly into the nostrils in ways standard human masks cannot, according to Project Paws Alive. After about five minutes on the mask, Milo rolled over.
Backfilling the Empty Station
With Sierra Madre firefighters committed to the Pasadena fire scene and Milo's rescue, an engine from the San Gabriel Fire Department was dispatched to cover Sierra Madre's own station, according to ColoradoBoulevard.net. The coverage shift illustrates the mutual aid provided during major incidents.
Following field oxygen administration and cooling measures, Milo was transported to Pasadena Humane for medical evaluation and post-rescue care before recovering, ColoradoBoulevard.net reports. Pasadena Humane, founded in 1903, provides emergency medical care and shelter to pets and wildlife during regional disasters.
A Family Displaced, A Dog on the Mend
A veterinarian said Milo will fully recover, according to CBS News. Fernando's son, Fernando Jr., described the turnaround in stark terms, saying Milo went from near death to essentially his normal self. Leti, another family member, said she had prayed Milo would be okay.
The Pasadena family will be out of their home for at least a few months while repairs are made, per the CBS report. Milo reunited with the firefighters who saved him on Monday morning, and his rescuers received custom shirts featuring a smiling Milo to mark the occasion.
Milo's survival adds to a sobering national picture: an estimated 40,000 pets die in U.S. residential house fires each year, with smoke inhalation the leading cause of death. Roughly 500,000 pets are affected by home fires annually across the country. Nonprofit programs distribute specialized pet oxygen mask kits to fire and EMS departments across North America. Some agencies face budget or purchasing restrictions, which can make obtaining such equipment difficult.
The Sierra Madre Fire Department, which sent Johnson into the burning home, was part of the rescue that helped save a family's dog.
