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Watch this California man risk everything to save his dog trapped in a burning house after firefighters ran out of water

'I knew something could’ve happened to me or both of us, but it didn’t go through my mind at the time,' the brave dog dad said.

BY TIYASA BISWAS

PUBLISHED 9 HOURS AGO

(L) Burning house in a neighborhood, (R)Man saves dog in fire and smoke. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) Insight Imaging, (R) kckate16)

A man has left the world speechless with his daring feat of rescuing his pet dog from a burning home out of selfless love. Jose Guzman of Southern California found his home fully ablaze, and the first thought that struck his mind was his 2-year-old pet dog, Gabanna, who was trapped inside the fire. While firefighters were busy controlling the raging flames, the dog owner did something totally unexpected to save his beloved pup. His courageous rescue was captured on camera and has now gone viral, amassing praise from dog lovers and pet owners everywhere, as reported by PEOPLE.

Two firefighters with a water hose. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Thana Prasongsin)

Guzman and his family were at his parents’ home for a barbecue when he received a call about a fire in his neighborhood in Pala, California. Although his fiancée, Adriana Lopez, and their three daughters, Yvette, 2, Hazel, 4, and Yetzel, 6, were all safe with him, the dad instantly felt concerned for his blue-nose Pit Bull. He drove to his neighborhood and watched his house engulfed in flames. Suddenly, the thought of his dog left alone urged him to rush inside. “I knew something could’ve happened to me or both of us, but it didn’t go through my mind at the time. That dog is part of my family,” Guzman told the outlet.

Pitbull sitting outside home observing something unusual. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Aminal Life) — Pitbull sitting outside home observing something unusual. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Photo by Aminal Life)

Rushing past the busy firefighters, Guzman underestimated how hot the fire would be. He hesitated but persisted despite protests from everyone around. Somehow finding his way inside, the man found his dog curled up under the toilet. All other rooms were on fire except the bathroom. “I ran through the curtain of fire and made my way through the smoke to the back of the house, where I had her chained up,” he recalled. The pet was still chained, and Guzman struggled to free her from the leash. “I managed to get her loose, and we both ran out towards the driveway.” Fortunately, his heroic act saved a precious life from the fire.

Firefighters in front of a burning house. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | deviousrlm)

Gabanna had been through all the ups and downs with the family, and Guzman just could not afford to leave her in the burning house alone. “I would do it again if I had to; I would do it for anybody in my family,” the dad of three said, adding, “I wasn’t gonna let her die like that.” The extraordinary rescue was captured by Adam Guzman, the landlord’s son-in-law. The footage showed Jose running in and coming out with his dog within seconds. Adam admitted he thought it would be the last time he saw the man as he ran through the flames. When Guzman finally emerged from the smoke with Gabanna, Adam was relieved and filled with joy because both the dog and the owner were safe.

Guzman suffered second-degree burns on his face, right arm, and left ear, while Gabanna had a burnt paw and nose. They are slowly healing from their injuries. Meanwhile, Guzman’s sister set up a GoFundMe page for the family as they lost their home, two cars, and every possible belonging. The family has raised $77,110 through donations from kind strangers and hopes to rebuild their life. ABC 10 News covered Guzman's story on its YouTube channel.