[News] Golden, Colorado fire guts home; 15 yorkie puppies survive
 

Golden fire guts home; 15 puppies survive

Golden fire guts home; 15 puppies survive - The Denver Post
pictures at the site

By Kieran Nicholson
The Denver Post
Posted: 03/20/2009 09:33:16 AM MDT


Firefighters saved 17 dogs, including 15 puppies, from a wicked house fire Thursday night by breaking through a basement wall after hearing the dogs barking.

The fire broke out at about 10:15 p.m. at 1551 Salvia Court in Golden, said Lt. Jason Nicholaou of the Pleasant View Fire Department.

The owners of the home, Linda and Walt Queen, run a business selling Yorkshire Terrier puppies.

The fire was fully involved when firefighters arrived, with flames shooting into the night sky. The home was gutted.

"The basement had smoke all they way down to the floor," Nicholaou said. "The puppies were fully engulfed in the smoke; it's a miracle they survived."

When firefighters first arrived, flames and smoke were so intense that they went into defensive mode and didn't send anyone into the home.

The Queens were spending the night at a nearby hotel as the home was undergoing some renovations.

After the fire broke out, police called them at the hotel, and they rushed to the burning home.

"We told the fire department we had puppies in there," Linda Queen said.

Firefighters heard barking and were able to break through a basement wall to save 15 puppies and two adult Yorkies — Buddy and Pee Wee.

"Our dog Buddy was barking. They immediately broke in through the side of the house and started pulling them out," she said.

Linda Queen was crying and praying as she anxiously awaited the fate of the dogs, she said.

The dogs are all fine, but the house is a total loss.

"It's just a devastating, sick feeling to see everything you have go up in flames," Queen said.

The Queens had the home built about 10 years ago after picking out the lot with views of the foothills.

Pleasant View crews were aided by firefighters from the Golden Fire Department and West Metro Fire Protection District. About 30 firefighters put out the blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Meanwhile, the puppies are wagging their tails and bouncing around.

"They are all alive and well, amazingly," Nicholaou said. "We honestly can't explain it. It's a miracle."

WoW! What a great story to hear the firemen were willing to go in and try to save the puppies. It's sad they lost the house but I would rather lose it than the puppies and the dogs!

puppies are 12 weeks old & available for adoption
 

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17 lives saved from fire

GOLDEN - When Walt Queen's home caught fire, neighbors saw it turn into a fireball that they couldn't imagine anything surviving.

The home was a complete loss, but when firefighters heard barking coming from the basement, they learned that not everything was lost.

"We heard a report that there were dogs in there and we were like, 'Oh no," Nathan Wilis said, a firefighter with the Pleasant View Fire Department.

When firefighters reached the basement of the home, the same area where it is believed the fire started, they found two adult Yorkshire terriers and 15 puppies.

"They were pretty scared," Wilis said. "They were cold, they were wet, so we wrapped them in blankets and towels. They actually didn't have enough, so they had to cut them in half to get them in blankets."

Queen and his family weren't home when the fire started, which is suspected to have started from an electrical short, but arrived to see his home engulfed in flames.

"The flames were shooting about a hundred feet high and it is just a miracle my puppies lived," Queen explained.

He and his family have raised Yorkshire terriers for several generations. The puppies in the basement were 12 weeks old. The firefighters worked together to get them all out.

"We started pulling them out and handing them, there was just a line of firefighters with dogs last night," Wilis said. "And we confirmed the count that we got them all out and we were quite happy."

"Lucky isn't the word for it," Queen said, describing the rescue. Looking at the firefighters he said, "The real heroes are standing right there."

If you are interesting in adopting one of the Yorkshire terrier puppies, they are for sale. You can contact Queen Yorkie Palace at 303-618-5958 or visit their Web site at Queen Yorkies Palace, Yorkshire Terrier for sale, Yorkie Puppies for Sale.

God bless the firefighters for being able to save them, but oh how sad for the Queen's losing their home.:animal-pa