PITSSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – UPDATE:
It was a tremendously hot fire, it was a wind-driven fire.
William Vangils could do little more than watch as his colleagues from the Gretna Fire and Rescue tried to save his pets, including he beloved dog Jane who he called his close companion.
“I watched the guys try to get into the parts of the house the animals might have been in, and they were heroes. So courageous,” Vangils said.
“This whole front portion, the front half of the house was fully engulfed in flames.”
Deputy Chief Ryan Crews was on the scene that day.
“We respond to fires in the community all the time. Most time it’s people we know, but to hit that close to home. It’s very humbling.”
His department has rallied around Vangils and so has the community, a Gofundme has raised more than $15,000.
Vangils says he hopes to rebuild on the property and eventually get more animals. Ever the public servant, he hopes his situation serves as a reminder for people to have a fire safety plan as house fires spike during the winter months.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A Pittsylvania fighter lost his home and his pets following a structure fire, Gretna Fire & Rescue said in a Facebook post on Monday.
Gretna Fire & Rescue said that they responded to a structure fire on Sunday in Penhook, and the home of one of the firefighters, Bill VanGils, was heavily involved with the fire. The home was completely lost to the fire, and sadly, his pets were also lost during the incident. One of the pets was Jayne, the firehouse dog at Gretna.
“As first responders, our biggest fear is being on duty and hearing your address dispatched out for a call.”
Gretna Fire & Rescue
Gretna Fire & Rescue has started a GoFundMe for VanGils. You can donate here.