Cassandra Alaire of Atlanta awoke Wednesday morning to a terrifying scene. Her bedroom was engulfed in rapidly spreading flames. After attempting to distinguish the fire, she fled, but soon rushed back in when she realized her dog, Little – who had been sleeping by her side – did not followed her out. Alaire’s boyfriend happened to be walking their other pup at the time and did not witness the ordeal.
Realizing that Little’s escape route was now blocked by raging flames and thick smoke, Alaire fought her way back inside and found the lab mix cowering beneath a pillow. She hefted Little into her arms and again braved the fire to make their escape.
The couple had recently fallen on hard times and were living in an RV without running water or power. The fire was caused when a lit candle tipped over as they slept. Alaire suffered minor burns to her back and hand. Aside from the emotional trauma and a tiny burn on one ear, Little was not injured.
To make an already harrowing experience even worse, the couple returned to assess the damage and found that some of their personal belongings had been stolen. A GoFundMe page has been created to help them begin to rebuild their lives again.
Despite the immense loss of her home and possessions, Alaire counts her blessings that she escaped with her life and her beloved dog. She wrote on the GoFundMe page:
“Thank GOD that I woke up in time to get out and thank GOD that I made it back in and back out with my little girl…. losing her was NOT an option and I went through the flames to save her. Despite all that has been lost, I am EXTREMELY lucky to be alive today.”
H/T & Featured Image via WSB-TV Atlanta
