The Apple Fire in California caused plenty of fear to those living nearby. Greg Skeens and his dogs had to watch the flames burn from right outside their window. He worried that the fire would destroy his cabin, but little did he know, there was something even worse to worry about.
As the fire got closer, Skeens’ Blue Heeler named Buck got curious. Before Skeens could stop him, the dog had already run off into the fire. Skeens thought that his best friend died out there.
One Curious Pup
When the fire grew, some wild animals were forced out of the woods and into Skeens’ yard. Of course, this caught Buck’s attention right away. He soon chased a coyote that was nearly three times his size. He and the coyote ran off toward the fire, so Skeens feared the worst. If the pup wasn’t hurt by the coyote, then the fire would definitely get to him.
“He was chasing a coyote three times his size. What he don’t know is coyotes eat dogs,” Skeens said. “Yup. I thought he was gone.”
The Apple Fire acted fast. In only five days, it burned over 28,000 acres just outside of Los Angeles. The Orange County firefighters worked hard to fight the flames, but during all the chaos, they found a dog. He wasn’t burned at all, and he seemed lost. They didn’t know who he belonged to, so they gave him to animal control officers.
Buck’s Journey Home
Later, an animal control officer was going door to door to see if anyone needed food and water for their animals during these scary times. That’s when Skeens shared the news about his missing dog. Right away, the control officer realized that the Blue Heeler found in the wildfire was Buck.
Skeens could not believe that his brave dog was alive all this time. As soon as he saw Buck for the first time in days, he got excited and showered him with kisses. Buck was just as excited, and he hugged his dad as soon as he could.
“As soon as she handed him over to me, he got all happy,” Skeens said. “He didn’t want me to go anywhere.”
Now, Buck is safe with his family once again. Most families don’t have to deal with wildfires, but many can relate to the fear of losing a dog. That’s why it’s always important to keep an eye on your dog while outside and keep them restrained. Even the best behaved dogs can get spooked or confused in situations like this. So, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
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H/T: nbclosangeles.com
Featured Image: Screenshot, nbclosangeles.com
Toledo, United States.
