A dangerous fire at their home nearly cost Melissa Hoffman her life. But the family dog, Maya, may have saved it.
“My wife calls her ‘Sweet Pea,’” said David Hoffman, Melissa’s husband. “The dog’s with my wife 24/7. The dog is present all the time. And when the fire happened, the dog didn’t leave my wife’s side.”
Both suffered severe burns — Hoffman continues to undergo treatment at the UC Davis Firefighters Burn Institute Regional Burn Center. But Maya, an 8-year-old pit bull mix, is on the road to recovery and was reunited Monday with her veterinarian team and the firefighters who battled the flames.
The Hoffmans also got some financial relief as Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Roseville, which cared for Maya since the fire last month, announced it was covering the cost of the dog’s $7,000 treatment.
“(We) know that they had lost everything ...” said Nicole Orlando, the director of the veterinary hospital on Douglas Boulevard and Sierra Gardens Drive. “And we knew her care was going to (cost) thousands, and we wanted to be part of helping them through that loss. We just wanted to do something good.
“Everybody needs a break every once in a while.”
Melissa Hoffman, 64, had suffered a stroke in February, leaving her bedridden. She was unable to move from her bed when the family’s Citrus Heights home caught fire Aug. 15. That’s when Maya sprang into action, laying on top of Hoffman to protect her from the flames.
“The dog was found laying on top of the victim’s torso,” said Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn. “So that prevented major burn injuries to her chest and her torso area that could have been life-threatening.”
Metro Fire personnel who responded to the fire pushed inside the home and located them both. Firefighters used the bedroom window to rescue Melissa, while an unconscious Maya was also carried out. Firefighters were unable to save the family’s cat, Misty, who perished in the fire. The breeder of the cat gifted the Hoffmans a new kitten they named Marlee the Miracle.
David Hoffman was also treated for burns at the scene after trying to keep the flames from reaching the bedroom.
“There was basically a wall of fire that was breaching that (bedroom) door,” Wilbourn said. “The only way for her to actually get out would have been through the window and she was not able to do that on her own, so she required our folks to come in and actually breach that window to pull her up and out.”
Melissa Hoffman remains hospitalized and on a ventilator after receiving skin grafts to help heal her burns. Wilbourn said she is making a “great recovery” and is estimated to be released in November after roughly 60% of her body was burned.
Maya, meanwhile, suffered respiratory issues from smoke inhalation and had 20% of her body burned, including her entire left side and abdominal area. On Monday as she met with vet staff and firefighters, she wore a protective jacket to cover her burns while they continue to heal. Maya’s burns are expected to heal in the next month or two, Wilbourn said.
“It was very kind of them to take care of our dog, to get her back to health,” David Hoffman said. “It’s just an act of human kindness.”
The Hoffmans’ daughter, Angela, also started a fundraiser to help pay for some of Melissa’s medical bills .
Local News
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