5 dogs rescued from Burton house fire. Here’s how EMS resuscitated 1 unconscious pet

As fire leaped from the windows of a house on Burton’s Broad River Boulevard Friday afternoon, emergency crews stepped in to save a few four-legged friends from the flames.

When the home caught fire around 1 p.m., all human occupants were able to safely exit the residence, according to Capt. Dan Byrne of the Burton Fire District. But the family’s five dogs were still in the house, the family told rescue crews.

All five dogs were rescued from the residence by Burton firefighters, but two of the pets required extra care from Beaufort County EMS. One dog was unconscious after being removed from the home, Byrne said.

“The animals did what they do when scared and hid, and the family did what they should have, which was evacuate immediately,” the Burton Fire District wrote on Facebook. “They aided us in telling us where they saw the animals run to.”

First responders gave the two dogs a chest massage to facilitate breathing, also enlisting the help of the crews’ animal rescue kits, which were donated to the county in 2019 by Project Breathe, a pet oxygen mask donation program.

The masks were placed over both dogs’ muzzles and connected to a respirator, which helped the pets breathe, Byrne said.

Four of the five dogs are in good condition, according to Byrne. Emergency crew still on scene at 3:30 p.m. could see the animals running around the yard.

The fifth, an older dog, gained consciousness after help from EMS and was then taken to the veterinarian by family.

Following the 2019 donation, every ambulance in Beaufort County has a stock of animal rescue kits on board.

But even before then, emergency crews could still try to help pets in critical condition. Some first responders would attempt mouth-to-mouth and CPR, said Tanya Pitt, a paramedic with Beaufort County EMS. Rescue teams could also use non-rebreather masks, but those devices could only blow oxygen towards a dog’s face — not necessarily help the animal breathe it in.

The house fire in Burton was controlled and extinguished by 2 p.m., Byrne said. The incident is still under investigation by the Burton Fire District.

Both lanes of Broad River Boulevard closed as emergency services responded, but the road was expected to reopen Friday evening.

The American Red Cross is leading efforts to assist the family displaced by the fire.