Dog given oxygen as firefighters battle warehouse fire

An overnight fire destroyed a pallet warehouse in Marion County.

There's not much left of the building.

As the fire raged, firefighters swept the area for anyone on the property.

That's when they found a dog cowering in his cage.

Firefighter Kyle Dingman gave oxygen to the terrified dog through a special mask.

Dingman said the dog was traumatized by the chaos around him.

"Very scared, timid, barking, getting sick eating grass. Very nervous," Dingman said.

James Lucas, a spokesman for the Marion County Fire Rescue, said the fire started overnight on Saturday, and the pallets burned like kindling.

The whole building collapsed.

"The heat and the flames compromised the building's structural integrity and it just collapsed on itself," Lucas said.

As they battled the flames, firefighters found the dog.

"He didn't look in good shape when we pulled him out of the fire ground," Lucas said. "But, after administering the oxygen for about 10 or 15 minutes, he seemed to be fine."

Whether it's rescuing man, or man's best friend, firefighters say it's all in a day's work.

"It makes me feel great, it's what we train for," Dingman said. "Marion County gives us everything we need to do the best we can at the job and do our duties to the fullest."

Lucas said the owner showed up while they were treating the dog and she was very happy to get him back.

The fire marshal's office is still investigating how the fire started.