Firefighter Throws Body into Flames at 'Kkingkking' Sound... Rescues 10 Puppies

House in Hoengseong, Gangwon Destroyed by Fire
Three Animals Suffer Burns... No Human Casualties

At the site of a house fire in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, firefighters who heard whining sounds broke through the flames and rescued 10 puppies, drawing attention.

The scene of 10 dogs rescued from a house fire in Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon Province on the 2nd [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to a Yonhap News report on the 4th, the fire occurred at 9:13 a.m. on the 2nd at a house in Changbong-ri, Gonggeun-myeon, Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon Province. When firefighters responded to a report of a "house on fire," the blaze was at its peak intensity, and with nearby mountains, there was a risk it could spread into a forest fire. Therefore, firefighters focused their efforts on preventing the fire from spreading.

At that moment, several puppies' whining sounds were heard around the building. Shin Woo-gyo (52), the on-site response team leader of Hoengseong Fire Station, and Lee Sang-hoon, the captain of the Gonggeun ambulance team, began searching for the source of the whining. Two adult dogs, believed to be the parents, were also restless, continuously circling around the house engulfed in flames. Although the fire was at its peak and thick black smoke filled the interior, making it impossible to see even an inch ahead, Shin and the team judged that there was no risk of the building collapsing.

They then searched for the puppies and shortly after found 10 puppies curled up and whining beside the burning house, successfully rescuing them in a dramatic effort. Among them, three puppies suffered burns, with fur on their hips and backs singed and blackened. The injured puppies were transported to a veterinary hospital, while the remaining seven puppies and the two adult dogs are temporarily being cared for at a neighboring house instead of the completely burned-down home.

The resident of the house where the fire occurred evacuated immediately after the fire broke out, so there were no human casualties. However, overwhelmed by the flames engulfing the house, they reportedly had no chance to rescue the puppies. The fire burned down the entire 132㎡ house and was extinguished after about an hour.

Team leader Shin told Yonhap News, "Even in the darkness where I couldn’t see an inch ahead due to the black smoke, I heard the puppies’ sounds and thought only about rescuing them first," adding, "I hope the puppies injured by the fire recover quickly with prompt treatment."