PORTLAND, Mich. - A woman was forced to watch her house burn after Monday's tornado while her dog was trapped inside.
While most people were rushing to assess the damage to their homes, one man rushed into harm's way to save the dog with the help of local fire fighters.
Connie Reay, survivor of both the tornado and house fire, said the fire started after the tornado yanked the electrical service off of three homes, causing a short in the wire attached to her kitchen.
"Smoke started billowing out of the upstairs windows and I thought my house was going to burn down," said Reay.
Reay's neighbor, Chris Reda, rushed over to help locate her dog.
"Me and another gentleman from down the road ran in to look for the dog," said Reda. "I got in about 15 to 20 feet and just started chocking."
Reda rushed in to save the dog multiple times, until the fire department arrived, helping Reda rescue the dog.
"The kitchen’s destroyed, the bathrooms have to be redone, and we had a lot of smoke damage in the dining room," said Reay.
Reay said she's just thankful to be alive after surviving the most unexpected turn of events. Reay's dog is safe and sound at Connie's children's house as the cleanup continues throughout Portland.
