It was just a regular day for construction crew members of Topp Notch, who were working on a house at the 100 block of St. Joseph Ave., until they heard a neighbor across the street yelling frantically.
Agnes Bair, discovered that there was a fire in the kitchen and evacuated the house around 12:20 p.m. with her two dogs, niece, Macey, 14, and two other people inside the house. That is when Bair said she discovered that her third dog, Lapew, was not by her side.
“She would not come out for nobody,” Bair said.
Thinking fast, crewmembers Matt Coppers, Joe Motycka and Eddie King said they rushed inside the house to save Lapew.
“It was engulfed in smoke,” Coppers said.
Peering through the murky air, the three men said they searched the house for between five to eight minutes. Near the kitchen, Coppers said he saw Lapew hiding under a nightstand. He tried to pick her up, but the terrified animal ran into the living room and hid behind a recliner. Coppers was then able to scoop her up. The crew then left the house, bringing Lapew outside to a grateful owner.
“I would do it again,” Coppers said.
Motycka agreed.
“It is not nice,” he said. “It is just what you do.”
Three fire units responded to the call, including two units from Niles and one from Niles Township. The Niles City Police also responded to the call.
Bair said she had been cooking some French fries on the stovetop when the fire started. Her niece Macey called the authorities. Authorities confirmed that the fire originated on the stovetop.
Bair was grateful authorities arrived when they did.
“They got here so fast,” Bair said.
No one was injured, including Lapew. Niles Fire Captain Don Wise attempted to give the dog an oxygen mask, as a precaution. But she ended up not needing it.
Wise said it took the crew about 10 minutes to get the fire out. The flames were concentrated to the kitchen and did not spread to the walls.
Fire Chief Larry Lamb said he estimated the cost of damage would be between $10,000 to $15,000. The house was not inhabitable at the time, Lamb said.
Bair walked across the street to thank the three men who had helped to save her dog. Embracing Motycka she said she was very grateful.
“I appreciate it,” she said.