'She requested her dog to go first': Firefighter recalls rescuing woman, dog from burning building

 

DELAFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Even though he previously served with the Milwaukee Fire Department, Caleb Lucht said he never experienced a response like the one Thursday night at a Delafield apartment complex.

"I've never been part of a rescue where it was that intense," Lucht said. "Where I was also working to put the fire out."

Lucht, now a lieutenant with Lake Country Fire & Rescue, said his crew of five people was the first to arrive on scene after calls came in for an apartment building on fire around 11 p.m.  

Between the five, they began putting out the fire, searching the building and opening up ventilation. One of first floor units was fully engulfed in flames, and shortly after arriving, Lucht learned someone had to be rescued.

"Once we got into the interior of the building, that's when I heard reports through the radio that there was someone trapped on the second floor," he said.

Lucht and one of the other firefighters, who happened to be on his first day on the job, went upstairs to find the trapped victim.

"Zero visibility through that entire staircase," Lucht recalled.

Once they got into the apartment, Lucht said the unit was clear of smoke. The woman and her dog were in a bedroom.

Lucht said there was no way it'd be safe to go back into the staircase, and the flames shooting up from below made it impossible to set up a ladder next to the unit's porch. 

At that point, another firefighter positioned a ladder beneath the bedroom window.

"Obviously, it was surprising for her and also for a K-9 in that situation," Lucht said. "But, tactically, having a smoke-filled heat environment in the staircase, our best option is to go out the window."

Lucht said the broke the window and cleared out the debris, then guided the woman onto the ladder. Once she made it down safely, Lucht handed the dog to another firefighter on a ladder. He noted the woman resisted the idea of being rescued first.

"She did not want it to go in that order," he said. "She requested her dog to go first."

Outside the building Friday, a group of people gathered near the garages outside the badly damaged building. There was also a labrador, and a woman confirmed she and her dog, Isla, were the ones who'd been rescued.

The woman asked for her name to not be published, and she declined an interview, citing stress and a lack of sleep. However, she did not object to Isla getting plenty of face time with the camera.

Both the two and four-legged fire victims were noticeably fatigued. The woman said she was hoping to be allowed back into the building soon so she could see what belongings might be salvageable. After bounding around and gobbling up a handful of food, Isla sprawled herself out along the pavement.

Delafield police were still investigating the cause of the fire Friday, and Lake Country fire officials declined to comment on what may have sparked the blaze or whether it was suspicious. 

The woman said she was grateful to have made it out safely with Isla still by her side. Lucht said she the situation well.

"It takes a lot of bravery to even have a fireman tell you, 'We're going out a window,' but she did an awesome job," he said.

Lucht said Isla was also incredibly calm throughout the rescue.

"Like a champ," he said. "[She] was cool as a cucumber. It was awesome."

Lake Country fire officials said the residents of all eight units were displaced by the fire. They said the American Red Cross was offering aid to those who needed help finding a place to stay.