SCOTT COUNTY, Indiana — A 37-year-old man who mistakenly thought his dog was in danger died Wednesday morning trying to rescue it from a house fire in southern Indiana.
The fire happened in the 3400 block of Red Bud Lane, which is in Scott County, according to a spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
Officials said both individuals inside the home escaped the fire initially, however the victim went back into the home to rescue a family pet and didn't make it back out. The other person was taken to the hospital for treatment.
The victim's wife, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke to WHAS11 at the scene of the fire after being released from the hospital. She said her husband was unaware their dog had already made it out safely.
Her husband's identity has not been released at this time.
She said the couple, who were married for two years, woke up early Wednesday. Her husband went to the bathroom and lit a candle.
"All of a sudden, I heard him running out of the bathroom telling me to grab our dog and get out and call 911," she said. "He said the toilet had shifted and the candle fell into the trash and he tried to put some water on it and it wasn't going out. That we just needed to get out and be safe."
While outside of the home, the woman said she began calling for their dog, but couldn't find it because of the thick smoke.
The man then ran back inside the home, thinking the dog was still inside, but the woman said she later found the dog hiding under a car outside.
The woman went back inside the home, crawling under the smoke to find her husband. Eventually she found him, about 15 feet away, and told him he needed to come back out.
"Where he had lost everything so many times before [from previous house fires], he just kept saying he couldn't lose anything again," she said, crying. "He just wanted to find his dad's ashes."
She said the last time she saw him was through a broken window.
"I heard him coughing, saying 'I love you, I love you,'" the woman said. "That was the last I heard from him. I don't know what I'm going to do without him."
The victim's wife said a police officer on scene was taken to the hospital as well for treatment. She said the officer attempted to save the man, but was unsuccessful.
"He helped us so much. He was a really, really brave man," she said. " I don't know anybody who would have tried as hard as he did."
The officer's condition is unknown.
Authorities said the fire remains under investigation, but don't believe foul play is involved.
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