Amazon driver risks his own safety to rescue dog from burning car

An Amazon driver with a history of helping others while on his route came to the rescue once again when he recently helped spring a dog that had become trapped inside a burning vehicle.

On the evening of January 23, Ervin Ruhe, a 49-year-old Amazon driver, was heading home after a long day at work. He had just assisted a colleague finish his deliveries when he spotted a car on fire on the side of the road in Merced, about 40 minutes outside his hometown of Modesto, California.

Ruhe spotted a man guiding his wife away from the burning vehicle and stopped to see whether he could help. Ruhe described the man — who, by that time, had returned to the vehicle and had begun attempting to open one of the car doors — as "distressed," so Ruhe pulled over and quickly grabbed the emergency fire extinguisher located in the back of his delivery van.

"It didn’t look like it was too bad yet, but I was just hoping nobody was inside," Ruhe later recalled. "I just wanted to try and help out if I was able to."

Ruhe began immediately dousing the flames with the fire extinguisher when the couple apprised him of their main concern. "Our dog’s inside," one of them shouted, "our dog’s inside!"

Sure enough, a small chihuahua was trapped in the back seat of the vehicle. Ruhe managed to contain the fire enough to unlock the back door so that the man could open it and bring the little pooch to safety.

Once all creatures, great and small, were out of danger, Ruhe called 911 and took a quick video of the burning car.

"I just used a fire extinguisher on it, and I got a dog out of the back for the owners," Ruhe said in narration, adding, "The fire truck is on its way." Officials later confirmed that no person — or canine — was hurt in the incident, likely thanks to Ruhe's intervention.

"We are very grateful to Ervin for going above and beyond and helping out a community member and their pet while in distress," said Amazon Delivery Station Senior Regional Manager Navneet Kaur in a statement. "It’s amazing to witness the ownership and willingness to go above and beyond to help someone in need."

This incident is also not the first time that Ruhe, who has worked for Amazon for four years, has gone "above and beyond to help someone in need" during the commission of his professional duties. According to the Fresno Bee, Ruhe had previously helped a local farmer put out a fire in his equipment out in a field. The equipment, described as either a water pump or a generator, was then located near tall grass and gasoline cans, so the matter was urgent. To avert disaster, Ruhe grabbed his trusty fire extinguisher and doused the flames which threatened the safety of the farmer and his property.

Natalie Banke, who works with Amazon’s workplace public relations, confirmed that Ruhe has already been recognized for his work as a deliveryman and that the company intends to recognize Ruhe's acts of heroism soon as well.

But despite all the accolades from the company and the public, Ruhe has remained humble. "I just felt I just wanted to be a good citizen and help out," he claimed.

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