Fear crept into Darius Crowder’s mind Wednesday afternoon when he heard the address.
It was the location of a residential doggy day care in Stonecrest where he had dropped off his puppy that morning. Now, it was on fire. And he was responding.
“The first mindset I had was just panic mode,” the DeKalb County firefighter told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday morning. “Me being a dog parent, I knew the address and could only think the worst.”
The 27-year-old was one of several firefighters called just before 4:30 p.m. to the home along Roman Woods Drive, according to fire spokesperson Capt. Jaeson Daniels. As Crowder was traveling the 4 miles to the scene from his station in Lithonia, he spotted a massive column of smoke rising into the air, causing his worries to grow.
“You’re like, ‘OK, wow, that’s a big fire for you to be able to see the smoke,’” he said. “So now I’m really scared.”
When crews arrived, they saw smoke and flames on the roof of the home, where Crowder said a woman runs the business. He went to his battalion chief and let him know that he believed his dog was still inside. The chief pointed him to the side of the house and Crowder rushed over.
He then spotted Xina, his black 6-month-old Belgian Malinois. Other firefighters were tending to her, giving her water and oxygen. She was scared, but could walk and didn’t appear to have any injuries.
Crowder and Xina embraced, but not for long. There was still a job to do.
“It was a huge relief because now I can focus on the task at hand with a clear mind,” Crowder added. “I can just work.”
His pet was one of the dogs evacuated from the home by a man who lived there, who told fire crews that others were still inside. Crowder and the other firefighters continued battling the blaze, which spread throughout the house. At the same time, they tried rescuing the three other dogs, who were all found dead.
Daniels said the fire appeared to have started in the garage, though a cause is unknown at this time.
In the aftermath, Crowder looked at the destroyed home and then glanced at Xina. She is the first dog the firefighter has ever owned, adopted from a previous fire call in March. He was thankful and exhausted.
Credit: Jaeson Daniels
Credit: Jaeson Daniels
Crowder always wanted a dog as a kid, but his firefighter parents’ schedule made things difficult. He eventually moved out, then wanted some company after living alone for a time.
“I took her in and just made her my dog,” he said. “We’ve been good friends ever since.”
When the blaze was brought under control, the relieved firefighter held his smiling puppy tight, happy to be reunited. It was a bright spot during a tragic situation.
“It was a real powerful moment, because at times we get caught up with the work schedule and don’t really have time to really enjoy playtime with dogs and just embracing each other’s love,” Crowder said. “I can’t take anything in life for granted. So it made me have another view of it and really want to spend more time and be with her more.”
On Thursday morning, Xina was sleeping soundly next to Crowder on his day off.
“She had a long day,” he said.
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