'I Went Through The Flames': Atlanta Woman Saves Dog In Blaze: ICYMI

ATLANTA, GA -- An Atlanta woman saved her dog's life recently when she ran into her burning home after a tipped-over candle set off a fire. Cassandra Allaire told local media that she was awakened on June 28 to see the blaze quickly growing out of control.

She tried to put it out by using a fire extinguisher, but was unsuccessful, so she ran out of the home. (To get notified of more local news like this, click here to sign up for the East Atlanta Patch. Or find your Atlanta-area town here. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

That's when she realized her dog, Little, was still inside. Allaire ran back into the home, braving dangerous fumes and intense heat from the blaze. She recounts the harrowing ordeal in a GoFundMe she and her boyfriend set up.

"By the time i realized it was too bad for me to control I looked up and only saw flames and smoke," Allaire writes. "But little dog was still in there. and i ran through the flames and found her in the farthest corner under pillows shaking. i couldnt even see her through the smoke, i just felt her. they arent exaggerating when they use the term "roaring fire"- the sound of the flames consuming everything was deafening. i wrapped my arms as tightly around her as i could and ran back through the fire that had completely engulfed the rest of the rv. when i hit the ground outside, i thought for a minute that i was on fire, but quickly realized that my back was just burned, not BURNING."

Allaire's boyfriend was actually out walking the couple's other dog when the blaze began, according to WSB-TV. He came home to set the structure ablaze. To make matters worse, when the couple left the scene after investigators finished their work, someone stole some of their items.

The couple are hoping that people who read their story can help them start anew.Their GoFundMe had gotten $1,200 of a $5,000 goal as of 2 p.m. Monday.

"Now we (Mike aka Creashun, me, and our two dogs Masi and Little) are left without anywhere to go and all of our personal belongings- clothes, shoes, books, dog toys, music equipment, records, art and supplies, sentimental items, and everyday necessities- are gone," Allaire writes. "My little honda is on its last leg and too small for all of us to fit in to sleep anyways. We recieved a little help from the red cross, but only enough to get a room for two nights, so tomorrow morning we will all four be stuck on the street with nowhere to go. Please help us rebuild our lives and get into a new home."

The dog is doing well, but Allaire suffered minor burns in the fire. "I am EXTREMELY lucky to be alive today. btw- my back wasnt burned too badly, its tender, but not blistered," she says on the GoFundMe.

Image via GoFundMe