Bodycamera footage shows the brave rescue of three dogs from a burning building by a police officer in Fairfax County, Virginia.
An officer on patrol rushed in and made the rescue on June 18 after noticing smoke in a townhouse community. The officer went into the neighborhood for a closer look and saw smoke coming from the top floor of a townhome in the 4300 block of Pembrook Village Drive, the Fairfax County Police Department said.
Immediately, the officer began knocking on doors and letting neighboring residents know the building was on fire. One of the neighbors told the officer there were pets inside the burning townhouse.
"Without hesitation, the officer made entry into the home and was able to rescue the pets," the police department said.
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Video shows the officer approaching the townhouse complex, with smoke and flames emerging from one of the residences.
He begins to go door-to-door knocking and alerting the residents to the danger. One of the residents informs him there are three dogs inside the burning building.
The officer then leaps into action. He charges into the building and finds three dogs locked in their cages with the townhome's smoke alarm blaring. The officer lets the dogs out of their pens and goes upstairs to check the rest of the home.
He was overwhelmed by smoke on the top floor and was forced to exit the building.
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Emergency responders from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department arrived on the scene and were able to extinguish the fire. The officer and the dogs were uninjured.
"Great work by our heads-up officer," the police department said. "FCPD is committed to the safety of our community members and even our pets."
The rescue came two months after a similar incident in April.
Three other dogs were rescued by the Fairfax County Fire Department from a townhouse fire on the 14600 block of Seasons Drive on April 21. Firefighters from the Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department joined to help extinguish the flames, local station WUSA reported.
The fire crews arrived at the scene that morning and found a three-story townhouse with smoke billowing out of the second-floor window.
Firefighters recovered three dogs from the burring building while crews worked to put out the flames. No one was inside the home. The animals were stabilized by paramedics outside the home.
Authorities said the cause of that fire was believed to be an electrical issue with a flat-screen television in the living room, WUSA reported.
Four people and three dogs were displaced by the fire, which caused nearly $30,000 in damages.
