As residents frantically evacuated the area around the northern California town of Cohasset due to a raging fire (caused by arson), one person was faced with a difficult decision. Their truck broke down and they had to leave behind two adult Rottweilers and their puppies. It was clearly a tragedy in the making.

Enter Butte County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) Search and Rescue team's Trevor Skaggs, who quickly decided he was not going to let that happen on his watch. He hopped on a BCSO helicopter, was flown to the perilous area by pilot Conner Smith—then ran a mile and a half to track down the pooches.

But his daring rescue was not over—he still had to get Mama and babies to safety. (Sadly, Dad did not survive the ordeal.) After first sharing his water and his protein bar with the canine clan, he somehow managed to convince them to follow him on the long road back to the chopper.

Trevor Skaggs of the Butte County Sheriff's search team rescued a mother Rottweiler and her four puppies days after their owner had to abandon them when fleeing the Park Fire. Sadly, the puppies' father did not survive. pic.twitter.com/hglA1YhlMj

— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) July 31, 2024

Once Skaggs got them back to safety, the puppies and their mother were flown to the Chico Airport and are now being cared for by members of the North Valley Animal Disaster Group. The rescue group took to Facebook to thank all those who helped make the rescue successful: "A great example of interagency support and coordination, and a remarkable rescue. Great job!" they wrote. 

"It’s been a horrific few days for our community and we are grateful to be able to share this amazing story," said Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea. 

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This is Trevor Skaggs.

When he found out a family of five dogs was stranded during a wildfire, he took a rescue helicopter to their location — then ran more than a mile to find them.

He gave them water, food, and brought them all back safely.

Hero. pic.twitter.com/AuXAe6OLCH

— Goodable (@Goodable) August 2, 2024

Meet the pups:

The cuties seemed to have come through their distressing experience with doggie aplomb, and they're ready to chew on whatever life has to offer.

It's certainly been a traumatic time for those facing California's Park fire, but kudos to Skaggs for averting at least one tragedy. For that, sir, you are a hero.

This is one in a series about everyday heroes that don’t necessarily make the front pages. It’s a chance to talk about something other than Kamala's cackling, Iran's saber rattling, and rampant inflation.

I’m inviting readers to send me stories of people they know or who they’ve read about who have done heroic acts—large or small, physical or otherwise—that have made someone’s life better or saved them from danger. Please email me with any tips at [email protected] or DM me on Twitter. Thanks!

More Heroes:

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Sunday Edition: 40 Rescuers Team Up to Pull 2 Horses From Swamp in Must-See Video

Five U of Georgia Students Dramatically Save Drowning Family Trapped in Submerged Car