BY TRACY LEE TATE
Times Staff Writer
RAIFORD — Firefighters fought an afternoon fire in a doublewide mobile home located in South County Road 229 in Raiford May 8.
The home (a rental) appears to be a total loss, but residents Stephanie Dubay and her partner, Chris McDougald, escaped with minor injuries and smoke inhalation.
Thanks to two Union County deputies, the family pet was also saved, although he was trapped in the burning structure for a time.
Union County Sheriff’s Office got the call and when deputies Staci Stock and Caleb Evans arrived at the scene, they found both residents outside the burning structure. The deputies were informed that the couple’s pet, an English bulldog, was trapped inside the burning home in a training cage.
They immediately took action, arranging access to the interior through a window, with a pool ladder and some car rims assembled to assist with the entry. The animal was saved.
Union County Emergency Medical Services arrived at the scene and cared for the residents. Fire units from Union, Bradford and Baker counties responded, as did Forestry.
The home was a rental and appears to be a total loss. Dubay and McDougald are now homeless and have lost almost everything they own. The American Red Cross is assisting, and a GoFundMe page has been set up in their names by Dubay’s mother.
Deputy Evans is likely to remember the fire for quite some time – it was his first day on the job for UCSO.
