Firemen save pet
Puppy rescued from basement of blazing house

A Gallup firefighter signals to others on the ground while another handles the ax responding to a fire off Coronado in Gallup on Friday. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Adron Gardner

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — Two firefighters saved a pup trapped in the basement of a burning building Friday afternoon.

Gallup Fire Lt. Nodee Lujan and Firefighter Artie Sandoval were among the first to respond to a house fire on Coronado Street near Allison Road about 3 p.m. Friday.

Two residents had been inside the house when the southwest corner ignited for reasons that were still under investigation Friday evening. The residents told firefighters on scene that their smallish, black dog named Leia was trapped in the basement.

“There was heavy smoke and flames and it was fully engulfed when we first arrived,” Gallup Fire Capt. Clyde Espinosa said.

But that didn’t stop Lujan and Sandoval from rushing inside to save Leia, which they did, bringing the injuries — of two- and four-legged residents — to zero.

Espinosa said the cause of the fire remains under investigation, but there was some evidence of faulty wires.