RV Fire - "A Dog's Tale - An Act of RV'er Heroism"

I know this is an older video, but I'm hoping my story will help other RVers make good choices.
We got a 1983 30ft Pace Arrow motorhome that, to all visual appearances, looked to be in "better than one might expect" condition. Only 27,000 miles. Everything worked. Very minor leaks easily fixed. Engine fired right up. Generator perfect... etc. We redid the brakes and replaced the radiator, then drove it five miles down and back to the local hardware store for propane.

By the time we got back it was running rough, smoke coming out from under the front, and "dieseling" after the key was shut off. The smoke was thick and getting thicker, so I ordered my family to "abandon ship" (I'm from a sailing background... we use a lot of nautical terms). We had verbally role-played the procedure, but never actually practiced it. Back windows open so the cats can escape, weapons dropped out the back windows, then evac through the door grabbing the "abandon ship bag" on the way out. My wife and then 6 year old daughter did all of that.

I was ripping the engine cover off to block airflow into the carburetor and get the engine shut down. BAD IDEA!!! No sooner had I removed the air filter housing than the engine backfired and blew a cloud of fuel vapor straight up into the motorhome. There was a breeze that day... that's the only reason we did not have a fuel vapor explosion inside our rig... and right in my face... because maybe ten seconds later flames shot up from under the engine bay. The transmission was also overheated, and had blown transmission fluid onto the overheated exhaust manifold.

Here's where things went right....
Drawing on my sailing experience, where fire is the absolute first and primary threat to survival at sea, I had a five pound fire extinguisher as well as the little one pounder that comes stock, same as the one you grabbed on the way out your door. As soon as the fire lit I yelled it out "FIRE" and grabbed that big bottle. The fire had been burning perhaps 15 seconds. In 5 more it was out, shooting ABC powder straight down onto the exhaust manifold. For five minutes I sat on the floor to stay out of the smoke. Every time I saw flames I gave it a squirt. Each time the fluid reignited in seconds. It took five minutes for the exhaust to cool down below ignition temperature. With just the original 1 pound extinguisher we would have lost our home.

We now have THREE five pound extinguishers throughout the rig, plus three one pounders, and a two pound bottle mounted to the bulkhead in the galley.

Later on I inspected the underside of the motorhome. I don't think it was related to the fire, but I found SERIOUS heat damage all down the underside of the rig. Charred insulation, melted electrical conduit, heat-cracked fuel lines, etc. This vehicle would have burned down no matter what, had I not inspected the underside of this rig.

I have since replaced the exhaust system and lowered it three inches to get it away from the bottom of the rig. Installed heat shields between the floor and exhaust. Replaced and heat shielded the fuel lines. Removed the old flammable foam insulation and replaced it with heat shield hi-temp insulation and the same in the generator bay. And of course gone somewhat overboard with the fire extinguishers... but overkill is underrated.

Don't bet your life or home on a 10-second burst of fire extinguisher or the availability of a water hose... go overboard with fire safety.
Have a plan... which you very obviously DID have!!!
At least verbally role-play your plan... which you definitely did!

Be safe.

An old video, but man, David, you guys did very well!

Ok! Like OMG WTH CANT I EVER EVER EVER GET NEIGHBORS LIKE U GUYS!!!!????

IT TAKES BRAVERY AND GUTS AND HUZBA AND INTELLIGENCE OF HIGH LEVEL AND ESP UNDER THAT KIND OF PRESSURE!!! AND U ALL JUMPING INTO ACTION THAT QUICKLY AND ALL U GUYS GRABBING ALLLL THOSE DAMNED F.E.s ABSOLUTELY SLOWED THIS KILLER FIRE DOWN!!! I MEAN HAD U ALL NOT DID ALLL U DID THIS WHOLE RV WOULD HAVE BEEN BURNT TO THE GROUND IN 15 TO 20 MIN!!!! AND THAT DOG WOULD HAVE NEVER GOTTEN OUT UNLESS HE FINALLY GOT THE SENSE TO JUMP THRU THE GD WINDOW!! AND THE 2ND U GUYS BROKE A WINDOW ONE WOULD NORMALLY BAIL OUT THE WINDOW IMMEDIATELY!!! THIS DOG WAS HORRIFIED AND TERRIFIED U KNOW!!! AND U GUYS RUSHING TO SAVE IT AND BEING AWARE OF IT WAS WHAT ALLLL HUMAN BEING SHOULD BE LIKE!!!! BUT NONE WHERE I LIVE R!!!! EVERYONE WHERE I AM WOULD TOTALLY IGNORE THE ENTIRE THING!!! AND THEY WOULD NOT MAKE ANY EFFORT TO SAVE ANYTHING NOR ANYONE!!! JUST A PARK FULL OF DEVILS HERE!!! APPARENTLY ALL THE ANGELS LIVE IN THAT PARK! 😇😇😇

When I 1st came to the 1 where I am... A few months after I got here the electric pole which was like almost touching the old crappy camper in front of me which belonged to an old stoner jailbird dude but old thuggy druggie... Had a sweet little dog!

Now normally he was home 247!! With his dog tied out and stoned and drunk! Well I had been gone most of the day that day running errands for nec.... And paying bills maybe!? And I had just gotten home to my BIG camper!! With my 6 dogs inside waiting beyond excited for me to get in!

I don't know HIH MY GETTING HOME PERFECTLY LINED UP WITH HIS FIRE JUST MOMENTS AFTER I GOT HOME BUT GOD HELP US ALL IT DID!!! NOW THIS OLD GUY HAD AT LEAST 3 4 TANKS OF PROPANE AT THE FRONT OF HIA CAMPER AND HIS CAMPER POCKETS AC FRIDGE ETC WERE ON THE BACKSIDE WHERE THE FIRE WAS BLAZING UP THE GUYS POWER POLE!!

Somehow the Cable lines going to his box had somehow came in contact with the power lines under ground here! And his lines were on the same lines as the MH rt over from us and me etc...

And that fire had shot up the cable and power pole and that sucker was blazing high and about to jump over to the camper!

NOW! I HAD BEEN GONE ALL DAY SO I DIDNT KNOW HE WAS GONE! ORRR THAT HE BY GODA GRACE HAD TAKEN THE DOG!!??

AND I WOULDN'T HAVE NOTICED SHIT TIL IT WAS FAR TOO LATE CAUSE I WAS WORN THE HELL OUT AND HUNGRY AND TIRED ETC....

BUT THANKS TO ME COMING IN MOMENTS B4 THIS AND TAKING MY EXCITED DOGS OUT TO POTTY I JUST HAPPEN TO BE GOING OUT AND IN WITH MY DOGS WHEN I SUDDENLY SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND LOOKED OUT TO SEE MAJOR FIRE SHOOTING UO THE POWER POLE RT AT THE BACK SIDE OF HIS CAMPER!!

SO I RUSH IN AND PUT MINE BACK UP REAL QUICK WHILE I GRAB MY PHONE TO HAVE WITH ME TO CALL 911 IF NO ONE ELSE DID!? AND I RUN OVER BEATIN THIA GUYS DOOR DOWN AND DEMANDING THAT HE GET THE HELL UP AND OUTTA THERE WITH HIS DOG!!!! SCREAMING NON STOP AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS FIRE FIRE U HAVE A FIRE AT UR CAMPER GET THE HELL OUT RT NOW!!

SO LADY IN MH IN FRONT OF HIM WAS HOME AND SO I BEAT HER DOOR DN SCREAMING FOR HER TO GET HER AND HER DAUGHTER OUT OF THE MH AND SCREAM FOR HER TO CALL 911 AND GET THE FD THE HELL OUT THERE RT NOW!!! AND I RUSH BACK YELLING SCREAMING AND I KNEW I HAD TO GET ALL THOSE PROPANE TANKS THE HELL OUT AND AWAY SO I START UNHOOKING THEM AND CARRYING THEM FAR FROM THE CAMPER!

NOW I DONT KNOW SHIT BUT I DO KNOW THAT U CANT SPRAY WATER ON ANY ELECTRIC FIRE!!! AND I THOUGHT I MIGHT NEED MY 2 EXTINGUISHERS FOR MINE IF THIS SPREAD FAST! CAUSE I HAD MY DOGS TO SAVE AND OTHERS TO QORRY ABOUT!! BUT ESP MY DOGS AND MY CAMPER AND MY TRUCK RT BEHIND HIM!!

SO I AM FREAKIN THE HELL OUT OVER HIS AND NOT KNOWING TIL LAST MON IF HE AND HIS DOG WAS GONE BUT FINALLY FIGURED OUT THEY WERE AND TGAM FOR THAT!!!

BUT THEN OUR RETARDED FD GETS THERE AND JUAT FN STOOD THERE AND DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!! CAUSE THEY DIDNT HAVE A CLUE WHAT TO DO!!!!

AND I AM THINKING R U FN KIDDING ME HERE!!!! UR THE GDFD AND NONE OF U KNOW WTH TO DO!!!! NONE OF U R GRABBING EXTINGUISHERS OR FOAM SPRAYERS OR WATER OR SHIT!! I MEAN R U DUMBASS s ACTUALLY STANDING HERE DOING NOTHING!

AND I SERIOUSLY GONNA HAVE TO SAVE HIA GD CAMOER AND MINE AND MY DOGS ETC ALL BY MYSELF WHILE U DUMB DICKS DO NOTHIN!!!!!!????? SO JUST BE GRATEFUL AS HELL THAT UR FS GOT THERE QUICKLY AND ACTUALLY GD DID SOMETHING!!!

I SWEAR TO GOD!!!! WERE IT NOT FOR GUYS LIKE U, AND ME HERE THAT DAY AT THAT EXACT MOMENT THAT I KNOW FOR SURE GOD LINED UP FOR ME TO COME IN AND THE FIRE TO HAPPEN AT THAT EXACT MOMENT IN TIME!!! THAT DOG THERE!!! AND THAT RV! AND HIS CAMPER HERE AND EVEN MINE AND MY DOGS AND THE MH ETC... AND MAYBE THE WHOLE GD PARK HERE.... DUE TO ALL THE LAZY GFN CRIMINALS AND DRUGGIES HERE... ETC... I MEAN THANKS TO FOLKS LIKE U WHO R PAYING REAL ATTN AND WHO R READY AR ANY GIVEN MOMENT TO AORING INTO ACTION AND ACT QUICKLY!!!! I JUST DONT KNOW!? THERE WOULD BE FAR MORE DEAD PEOPLE AND ANIMALS ON THE PLANET!!

FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART THANK GOD FOR ALL OF U AND THANK ALL OF U FOR U ALL BEING THERE AND FOR WHAT U ALL DID!!

AND IT WAS ALLLL OF U ACTING BEYOND QUICKLY AND BEYOND TOGETHER THAT SAVED THE DOG THE RV AND PERHAPS OTHERS RVS ETC THAT DAY!!! GOD JUST SEEMS TO OUT THE RT FOLKS IN THE RT PLACE SOMETIMES!!??

I DON'T KNOW ANY OF U THERE BUT THANK GOD FOR ALL OF U!!! AND TG THAT THE LADY AND HER DAUGHTER WERE GONE!!! TOO BAD THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE DOG QITH THEM!!?? BUT TG U GUYS WERE LOOKING AFTER HER EV AND DOG!

U ABSOLUTELY R HEROS!!!!! TO HER TO THE DOG AND TO THE REST OF US AND ME!!!!!

THANK ALL OF U!!!!! FOR QUICK AS HELL AND SMART AS HELL THINKING!!!! AND THE GUTS AND MORALS TO ABSOLUTELY DO THE RT HONORABLE MORAL ETHICAL THINGS!!!! STAY THEAE KINDS OF PEOPLE!!!! AND I ASSURE U U WILL ALL SIT IN HEAVEN WITH GOD!!! 😇😇😇✌️🤟👍🖖🦮🐕‍🦺👼👩‍🔧🤧🤧🤧🤧👩‍🚒👩‍🚒👩‍🚒👩‍🚒👩‍🚒👩‍🚒🌹🥀🌷

🤧🤧🤧🤧🐕‍🦺🦮🌈🤓👍🖖🤟✌️🤦🤷👼🥴😱😲😯😰🤢🤯😭🤭🤔🤔🙁😕😟🥺😳😬😥🤢🥵😇

God blessed you all🙏

Honestly, I've never seen a video where someone successfully stopped an RV fire that was well established, they go up like rockets. Good job, well done!

Wow I had never seen this video...
I really hope your my neighbor if this ever happens to or around me !!
I can't say enough, you are hero's in my thoughts/God bless you all..

All of those RVs are made from fireworks and tinder, usually they burn to the ground in 3 or 4 minutes. They have poor quality control and their construction is the worst of any vehicle on the road. Heroic efforts there and a beautiful smart dog. My RVis so rotten that there's little left to burn. Pure garbage.

Which refridgerator was recalled? I live full time in my rv. It is an older one. 1996. Not sure if the fridge is newer or original but it is a Norcold

Well Done, smashing Windows allows oxygen into the motor home fueling the fire but at the same time u prob saved the dogs life. Poor thing must of been soo sacred.

I am happy for his dog. Nice job everyone.

Wow!!!!! That brought tears to my eyes. WTG All!!! WTG :):):):)

Great job to all three of you!!! You saved the dogs life & no one was injured. Damn good job 👏. The puppy 🐶 looked happy as well.

You’re all angels brought to do a good deed. I bet the owner was overwhelmed that you saved his dog. Unsung heroes. Why are the RV’s so close together?? This looks like a storage park.

Wow just came across my feed. How crazy. I’m building my pun RV but NO PROPANE for me. I know other things can happen but man that’s scary. Thank you lord for saving that dog 🐕💖💖💖💖

You need a louder fire alarm.

Great job by everyone involved to help save that dog. I'm so glad this had a happy ending. I do feel sorry for the owner of the RV but at least he still has his dog. It is amazing that it survived being in that RV full of smoke.

i never thout id see the day when someone runs towards the fire ,simpley amazing,iv been in some real events and usally everyboy runs away or stands there with a bloody phone taking pics ,its what iv allways said 'if you get in fast theres a chance ,its a matter of seconds .firefighters could not have put that out any faster and proball let it cook off because off saftey regs ect as explosive gas bottles ect ,wow truley awesum guys

Thank you for your acts of heroism, without you all that poor dog would've died 🙏🏼👍🏼

God Bless you guys!

As a former fire fighter you guys done a superb job with what tools and knowledge you had. I wasn't for sure though as big as the flames were if fire extinguishers were going to knock it down.

Good job All. You saved the Doggie. When my Wife and I leave our travel trailer to go shopping. If we leave our dogs inside. We turn off the propane and water. We also leave a sign and a large fire extinguisher outside. The sign says. in case of fire. Please save our dogs. Call us. We leave our cell phone numbers on the sign and a set of keys to our camper hidden outside to gain access to the camper. If they call. We tell them where the keys are. Its so scary to leave our pets inside the camper. I think about how to prevent Fire all the time.

If you didn't like the videos you are a facshit

and of course Brenda

Great job!! We need more people like you in this world!! What a great ending!!

I am LITERALLY watching this the day my kitchen caught on fire, and holy shit the adrenaline rush it gives you as you grab the extinguisher

God bless Zoey!

Thanks for the video David and your service to a fellow rv'r. Thanks for saving this man's great friend. My wife are also full timers who travel with dogs and I can't imagine loosing either of them this way. One important thing I learned from the video is the need for more fire extinguishers and more first aid supplies such as eye wash. Thanks again.

Hello David . I remember the mass recall on the Norcold and the Demedic. Most fires on RVs going down the road are from these same things, LP gas going to the refrigerator. Mine is a house model running on electric only. I still should keep a number of fire extinguishers on hand just in case. Well be safe in your journeys and bye for now.

I was so proud when David and Brenda didn’t miss a beat and instantly ran to help!! I’m a big 6’3” Italian guy but I got teary eyed when they showed where the dog was hiding/reunited with the owner. Anyway I’d love to stay and chat but I’m going to go blow the refrigerator out!!

God Bless You Partner!!! "w.w."

C.F..D CITIZENS. FIRE. DEPARTMENT: good job guys u where quicker than the fire birgade

3rd Dec 2017 - just found your video.Thank you David for letting us know the dog survived at the beginning, Plus everybodys heoric efforts that day, before the fire engines arrived.Lovely seeing the dog OK at end.Greetings from London UK.

What a great story.

Great job jumping into action!! Your actions definitely saved that dog. Yes, the dreaded Norcold fridge. We have the same fridge in our RV. I did have it updated with the unit that's supposed to shut it down if it overheats due to the recall. I also installed an extinguisher in the back area and in my electrical bay. Hopefully I will never need either one. Thanks for sharing Dave!

Excellent Zoey was spared ! Good job rescuers ! rc

I'm crying imagining if something like this happened with my furpups in the rig... thank you for saving this dog... You are amazing. Do any of you have fire fighting training or was this just spontaneous effort??

Good grief! What kind of genius gives this video a down vote?

As a retired Firefighter I must say you guys did an incredible job keeping the fire at bay till the Fire department arrived. I have been on many mobile home and RV fires and they burn very very quickly. Thanks to your quick thinking you save the gentles RV and dog. GREAT JOB!

I'm a little late coming and just watched this. You guys rocked. I am glad no one got hurt. And the dog was ok. Tears. <3

Nice job 😊

great job you guys I heroes god bless you guys

Very scary! Good job getting that fire out and saving that beautiful dog! Everyday heroes is what saves lives!

why didnt you and the guest sit down? he even took off his shoes thinking he would be walking into the lounge.

Great story with a great ending! Even before I bought my RV, I knew RV folks were the best- Way to go!

David great job saving the dog,awesome job making this video, very thorough & creative, I was hoping you were going to pass the Microphone over real quick for a Weather Update,Some Sports & Have Robin Leach give us a tour of your Gorgeous Home.
Ty for being a good sport

What a great story, glad the dog made it

I will never own a rig with a propane-powered refrigerator. Or, for that matter, propane-powered anything.

You all exemplified the very best of what humanity looks like - helping when you don't have to help; risking when you don't have to risk; caring in an uncaring world.

We may just show up to OOBerfest 2017 this year, if only to shake your hands and buy you a drink.