Southside homeowner recovering after going into burning home to save his pets

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax has obtained the 911 call from Sunday’s fire on Ashglen Drive on the Southside of Jacksonville, and, the homeowner is now recovering from the fire that sent him to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. This was all after he reportedly went back inside to save his pets.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

“The owner of the house is still inside the house,” the 911 caller said.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Action News Jax spoke with the 911 caller and the homeowner’s daughter.

His name is Billy Slaughter, and his daughter said he is intubated at the Gainesville Burn Unit because he has severe smoke inhalation injuries. He has burns inside his throat and all over his face. She said it’s going to be long road to recovery, but she is thankful he is alive, and that they still have a house.

In the 911 call, the operator asks about whether there are flames or smoke, and you can hear the caller saying, “black smoke [is] coming out of the garage.”

“Within a matter of like minutes, it just got thicker, blacker, darker – scary,” 911 caller, Emily Thibault said.

Related Story: Homeowner pulled from burning home after going back in to save dogs

A scary sight for Thibault who said the smoke was spreading quickly. So, she called 9-1-1.

“My husband and I, and our baby, were driving into the neighborhood – we’re coming home from a friend’s house and my husband saw smoke,” Thibault said. “And he’s actually a JFRD firefighter and said, ‘Oop call 9-1-1, that’s definitely a house fire.’”

Around 4 p.m. on Sunday, the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department responded to a house fire on Ashglen Drive.

Thibault said her husband banged on her neighbor’s door to get him out.

In the 911 call, you can hear Thibault saying, “He came out and then he went back.”

That’s when they learned the homeowner had gone back inside to save his two dogs.

Read: JFRD says no one hurt following morning house fire in Murray Hill

“That’s really scary, because then they have to do a whole search and rescue,” Thibault said. “But thankfully, his dogs were in the backyard.”

JFRD Captain Eric Prosswimmer said he doesn’t recommend this.

“It’s just something that we’re never going to tell you to do,” Captain Prosswimmer said. “You know, we understand that pets are part of your family, and everything like that, but leave that to us.”

Read: JFRD: No injuries after firefighters put out house fire on Jacksonville’s Northside

When Slaughter eventually came out, Thibault said he was not in good shape.

“He was just covered in ashes and just all black and, like charred up basically; his nose was bleeding,” Thibault said.

Prosswimmer said he was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries but is expected to recover. Luckily, no other injuries were reported.

Thibault said she is thankful for the quick actions of the firefighters.

“They were on site so so so fast,” Thibault said.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Slaughter’s daughter said the dogs – a Rottweiler and a Belgian Malinois – are okay because her dad saved them.

Her family has created a GoFundMe for her dad.

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.