A Winnipeg man who saved three dogs from a rapidly-growing fire is glad he could help his neighbour reunite with their pets.

Yesterday afternoon, while settling in at home from an earlier surgery, Taren Gesell says he and his wife noticed something peculiar as they sat in their rec room.

"We just kind of smelled something, like a real strong campfire... (my wife) went into the sunroom and saw that there were a big fire two doors down," Gesell says. "The first thing that came to mind was 'are there people inside...and how are their dogs?"

Late in the afternoon, the couple noticed a building fire in the home of a neighbour in the 700 block of Borebank Street.

The couple recognized the home to be of a neighbour they had a good relationship with, noting it was the neighbour would sometimes cut their grass for them or would watch their home while they were away.

Gesell, who was at home attempting to "take it easy," tried contacting the neighbour to tell him about the fire but received no answer. Instead of waiting, he and a friend headed to the house to see if anyone was home.

"I banged on the window to see if the dogs were in there and I started hearing barking."

 

p;5:19 p.m to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the home. Gesell says he and his wife were told to pack a bag in case the fire spread to neighbouring homes.

Fire crews launched an offensive attack, declining the fire under control at 7:01 p.m.

Two firefighters were evaluated after sustaining minor injuries from the fire.

He says his neighbour's dogs were uncertain about his home, but when his neighbour returned home and reunited with his animals, it was worth the struggle.

"The dogs were pretty shaken up," Gesell says. He adds that whether it was the smell or just seeing the faces of their owners, the dogs relaxed when they were reunited. "It was just a calming moment that they had."

Gesell jokes that it yesterday's activities were not exactly what the doctor ordered after his surgery, but that he will be resting today.