The Colombian Sebastián Arias went viral when he rescued 25 dogs from a fire that occurred this Friday in Gamarra, Lima (Peru). The man, who currently lives on the street on a nearby bridge, saw a recycling factory fire spread to neighboring houses and did not hesitate to climb the façade of a building and one by one grab and throw the dogs that were trapped on the roof of a house.
Arias had previously worked at the recycling factory and knew that a neighbor used her home as an animal shelter, so she knew how many animals there were and where they were located. On the street, a group of neighbors organized to place sheets and mattresses that cushioned the fall of the dogs that were being thrown.
The improvised rescuer said in interviews with local media that he himself had a dog and would not have tolerated seeing others burned. Soledad Renteria, in charge of the shelter and owner of the affected home, was not at the residence at the time and was alerted to the fire when she was shopping nearby.
So far, the causes of the fire are being investigated. According to local press reports, the origin may have been an electrical fault at the recycling operator, which was operating without proper permits.
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