Family dog emerges alive from wildfire aftermath

SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Two men who hiked for miles through Northern California wildfire territory expecting a grim discovery were met with a joyful one instead.

Jack Weaver and his brother-in-law Patrick Widen walked around police barricades, through a creek and up treacherous hilly roads to save Weaver’s mom from having to recover the body of the family’s beloved dog Izzy.

Katherine Weaver was convinced Izzy died in a ferocious wildfire that destroyed their neighborhood and sent them fleeing for safety, Katherine still in her nightgown.

When the men reached the end of the narrow road, Jack Weaver swore as he saw that the house was completely gone. But then Izzy came bounding from the rubble for a joyous reunion.

Jack Weaver captured the moment on his phone in a video that’s gone viral, providing a rare bit of good news amid endless scenes of severe destruction.

“She was very happy to see us,” Weaver said of Izzy, a 9-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog. “She’s such a brave dog. She was panting a lot and clearly stressed. But she was not frantic or anything.”

A veterinarian said Izzy was fine, likely insulated from the fire’s intense heat by her thick fur coat.