Dog rescued from Newport Beach apartment fire
Firefighters braved thick smoke and intense heat to rescue a small dog that was trapped alone in a Newport Beach apartment Wednesday night, according to authorities.
Crews raced to Coronado at Newport Apartment Homes at 1705 Sherrington Place around 8 p.m. after an alarm company and a neighbor alerted the Fire Department to a blaze in a third-floor unit, Newport Beach fire Capt. Ty Lunde said.
When firefighters saw thick black smoke coming from the apartment, they forced open a locked door and began searching for anyone inside, according to fire officials.
Smoke filled the apartment from floor to ceiling, making it impossible to see anything, Lunde said, so firefighters began scouring the apartment by touch.
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Keeping a hand on the wall to guide them, firefighters made their way around the perimeter of every room.
When one firefighter reached a closed sliding-glass door, he reached down and felt something furry.
An 8-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Captain was trying to escape to the balcony outside, Lunde said.
Authorities quickly took the dog to waiting paramedics.
Twenty-two firefighters quickly doused the fire and cleared the apartment without finding anyone else inside, according to Lunde.
Investigators are trying to determine what started the blaze.
The flames and smoke caused major damage in the third-story unit, and three downstairs units sustained significant water damage, according to the Fire Department.
Officials estimated the total cost of the damage at $55,000.
Captain, though, seems to have escaped relatively unscathed, Lunde said.
“Although wet and covered with soot, Captain appeared to be uninjured,” the Fire Department said in a statement.
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Jeremiah Dobruck, jeremiah.dobruck2@latimes.com
Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck
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