Premium

LA man reunited with dog five days after wildfire evacuation, heartwarming video goes viral

Casey Colvin used a dog tracker to find Oreo sleeping on the rubble of his neighbour’s property.

The death toll in the Los Angeles wildfires surged to 24 on Monday (Image source: @LizKreutzNews/X)

Amid the most destructive weeks in the history of Los Angeles, a man sighed in relief when he found his dog, Oreo, five days after they were separated during the Pacific Palisades evacuation. Casey Colvin, who lost his home in the wildfire, wasn’t home when the fire broke out on January 7.

According to USA Today, Colvin rushed to save his two dogs—Oreo and Tika Tika Tika—when he learnt about the fire. However, he could only reunite with Tika Tika Tika. Colvin later used a dog tracker to find Oreo sleeping on the rubble of his neighbour’s property. In a heartwarming reunion video shared by NBC News correspondent Liz Kreutz, Oreo can be seen wandering down a driveway to meet Colvin and Tika Tika Tika. Elated, Colvin lifts Oreo, hugs him, runs around, and sobs.

“Oh honey, you’re alive, you’re alive!” he says as he holds the dog. “Oh, thank you, God!”

Sharing the video on X, Kreutz wrote, “The BEST news! Fire victim Casey Colvin, whose home burned down in the Palisades Fire, just found and reunited with his dog, Oreo, who spent 5 nights surviving amidst the rubble.”

Kreutz shared that she met Colvin amid the evacuation operations. She further confirmed that Oreo was the dog locals spotted wandering the neighbourhood.

Watch here:

The BEST news! Fire victim Casey Colvin, whose home burned down in the Palisades Fire, just found and reunited with his dog, Oreo, who spent 5 nights surviving amidst the rubble ❤️ @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/rAuJJk3pfa

— Liz Kreutz (@LizKreutzNews) January 12, 2025

Also Read | Los Angeles wildfires: Former child actor Rory Sykes tragically dies in Malibu after water was switched off

With over seven million views, the video evoked various reactions from social media users. “That good boi stayed there and waited even with the house burned down!!!” a user wrote. “I kept saying that I don’t think most people left their pets, I think they weren’t able to get to them. So glad his dog survived,” another user commented.

“I would be right there with this guy, totally losing it and crying my eyes out if it were my dog. So happy for this man and his little pup!” a third user reacted.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the Los Angeles wildfires surged to 24 on Monday while the National Weather Service forecasted strong winds intensifying over the week, The Guardian reported. According to The Washington Post, firefighters in the Los Angeles area are battling three major wildfires that have burned over 40,000 acres and forced 150,000 people to evacuate. The Palisades fire, the largest, is 13 per cent contained, while the Eaton fire, the deadliest with 16 fatalities, is 27 per cent contained.