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Edinburgh Live
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Kaitlin Easton & Iona Young

Hero teen who ran into burning home to save dogs 'shocked' to make it out alive

A teenage boy who ran into his grandparents' burning home to save their two dogs has told of his shock at making it out alive.

Tyler Lau, 16, spotted thick black smoke coming from the property as he was walking home from school. After calling 999, the teenager leapt into action to save beloved Lhasa Apso Archie, 12, and XL Bully puppy Cardi, who were both trapped inside while his grandparents were on holiday.

Brave Tyler told the Record: "I was heading to my grandparents house to grab my football boots and I saw a lot of smoke as I was coming out of the school gates.

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"I realised it was coming from my nana's house and I started running. The smoke was pouring out of their bedroom. All I could think was the dog's were inside.

"I phoned the fire brigade and I was screaming that someone had to save my nana's dogs."

A 999 call handler instructed the teenager to stay away from the blaze but Tyler could hear the whimpers and cries of both pets and feared they would perish.

He tried to enter the front door of the property but was met with a wall of fire. The teenager then crawled through a tiny gap in the living room window and pulled both dogs out of the house.

He continued: "I opened the front door and was hit with thick black smoke. I tried to walk through and the heat was burning my eyes.

"I've never seen anything like it. I tried to smash through the glass doors with a garden tool but the triple glazed windows wouldn't break.

"I spotted there was a tiny gap in the living room window. Sheer adrenaline forced me through it to get the dogs.

"I unlocked the kitchen door and found Archie inside crying. I grabbed him and pulled him out. The puppy was locked in a crate, and I managed to grab her and pull her out too.

"All I could see was smoke. It wasn't nice but I was trying my best not to breathe it in. When I ran out, the fire brigade had arrived.

"I was stumbling around all over the place. I couldn't believe I made it out. I was in sheer shock."

Tyler was given oxygen at the scene by fire crews who told his mum Lisa Cummings it was a miracle her son made it out alive.

When she arrived at the scene, she frantically ran toward the house believing Tyler was still inside.

She told the Record: "When I arrived, all I could see was blue lights and fire. I was screaming and the firemen were shouting 'pull her back'.

"The gaffer came out and spoke to me after the flames were put out. He said it was a miracle Tyler never came out of the house in a box."

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Lisa, who was looking after her elderly parent's dogs while they were on holiday, said the couple have been left broken after losing all of their possessions to the blaze.

In harrowing footage taken in the aftermath of the fire, Lisa could be heard sobbing as she walked through the charred home.

She has now set up a fundraising page to help her parents with immediate costs.

She wrote: "My parents have worked so hard their whole lives to have the home they did. My dad was due to retire in July and now that they have lost everything they own that is no longer possible.

Donations can be made by clicking here.

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