FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – Crews in Fort Lauderdale have put out a fire at an auto repair warehouse that sent one person to the hospital, left several vehicles damaged and led to the rescue of a dog that was trapped inside.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue units responded to the scene along Northwest 51st Place and 10th Terrace, near West Commercial Boulevard, just after 8 p.m., Wednesday.
“Upon arrival, our units found heavy black smoke and flames coming from a warehouse,” said FLFR Battalion Chief Stephen Gollan.
Everyone was able to exit safely, but Chester, a dog that has been housed at the warehouse for nearly 20 years, was trapped inside.
“I heard an explosion,” said John Taylor, who rescued the dog from the fire.
“We began to search for him. However, we weren’t able to locate him inside the building,” said Gollan.
Taylor knew just where to look. Chester was hiding in the office.
“He’s just like my shadow. I just grabbed him, because there was such heavy smoke inside,” he said.
Chester has now survived being hit by a car three times as well as this fire.
“He’s a 20-year-old dog, and he’s the building’s dog. They take care of him,” said Izzy Wiseman, who owns the building.
7News cameras captured Taylor cradling Chester in his arms.
“You can always rebuild brick and mortar. You can’t rebuild lives,” said Wiseman.
Crews were able to get the fire under control.
“We’ll rebuild it, and we’ll make it whole again,” said Wiseman. “Thank God nobody got hurt, and we have insurance, and they’re supposed to have insurance as well. Our tenants, hopefully they do and it’ll work out in the end.”
A number of cars that were parked in and around the warehouse suffered damage. They include old expensive cars, like a classic Lincoln, a customized Mazda RX-7 and a Shelby Cobra.
One person was transported to a local hospital for smoke inhalation.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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