Days after wildfire, AP reporter reunites dog with her owner

(AP) — Lawrence Ross looked beat, his head hanging and his eyes bloodshot five days after fleeing his home in the path of a wall of flames.

Ross showed up at a high school in the small Northern California town of Lower Lake, where authorities were escorting residents briefly into the evacuation zone to inspect their homes and check on pets and livestock.

When told officials were no longer letting residents in at all, not even with escorts, Ross sighed heavily, shook his head and fought back tears.

After about 10 miles of navigating twisting roads and dodging downed power lines, I came to his dirt driveway.

Unbelievably, his home was unscathed, the earth charred all around it where firefighters had beat back the flames.

Thumper emerged from a crawlspace, covered in ash and soot, darting toward me — her tail wagging, her tongue flopping.

For now, he remains a man without a home, living out of his car, but at least he has some peace of mind knowing his house is still standing and Thumper is by his side.