Family Reunites With Missing Dog Who Fled When Their Home Caught Fire During California Wildfires

After being denied entry at the police barricades to his mother Katherine’s Santa Rosa, California neighborhood, Jack Weaver and his brother-in-law Patrick Widen took a circuitous back route through the smoky woods to look for their dog Izzy, who fled in fear when their home caught fire due to the Northern California wildfires. The two men breathlessly hiked for three miles until they reached the family home. Seeing that the house was burned to the ground due, both Weaver and Widen feared that Izzie perished as well. Yet, after a few moments of calling her name, a big beautiful bernese mountain dog came lumbering out of the woods safe and sound.

Just a heartwarming story to share in the middle of all this devastation. My parents woke up with flames surrounding their house in wikiup bridgeway and had seconds to get out. In the chaos of trying to escape, my parent’s dog Izzy ran from them. My mom couldn’t chase after her without risking her own life. …They had to drive through walls of flames and across a burning wooden bridge to get to mark west springs road and to safety. They lost everything, but my mom was most devastated about leaving Izzy. My brother and husband were determined to try to get back to my parents property to see if by some miracle Izzy survived.

Weaver and Widen spoke with The Guardian about finding Izzy.