Car fires happen every day. Unfortunately, American roads and highways host over 170,000 car fires per year on average. However, if drivers, passengers, and first responders act quickly, a fire may not result in injuries or worse. Fortunately for one Washington Subaru owner, his quick action and the help of a police officer led to the successful rescue of his beloved dog from a spreading fire.

A WA police officer pulled over a man and helped him rescue his dog from a potentially deadly car fire

“As soon as I saw your lights, I pulled over. And then I immediately, I could smell the smoke.” Those were the words of a grateful driver after a Kitsap County, WA police officer pulled him over. I know, grateful for being pulled over? Not likely. Well, in this case, the driver was fortunate that the deputy pulled him over.

The deputy pulled the man over after noticing smoke and a probable fire in his Subaru hatchback. After the man pulled over, dashcam footage shows the driver getting out and immediately focusing on the rear driver-side door of the car. The officer then emerged from his cruiser and ran up to the vehicle. Realizing what the driver was doing, the deputy helped the man rescue his dog from the back seat of the burning Subaru.

Frankly, the police officer is being celebrated as a hero for pulling the man over. After all, had he not noticed the impending blaze, the man may have taken much longer to reach safety. Fortunately, their combined actions saved the dog just in time before the vehicle erupted into a fully-involved car fire. According to K5 News in Seattle, the driver had just commissioned some repair work on his vehicle before the event. The man says it “smelled like gasoline but he had no idea it was on fire.”

Bodycam footage shows the deputy and the man out of harm’s way before the fire department reaches the scene. If anything the sobering video is a reminder of how fast a fire can happen in a vehicle of nearly any type. Check out a brief video of the car fire and the rescue below!