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"He didn't make it," War Veteran loses home and dog in house fire

By
Updated  November 20, 2024 8:21pm CST
Houston Fire Department
FOX 26 Houston

The Brief

    • David Pace, an Army Veteran and homeowner in Missouri City, woke to his house on fire, narrowly escaping but losing his home and beloved dog Jax.
    • Despite his losses, including all the Christmas presents for his grandchildren, David remains focused on the importance of working smoke alarms, which saved his life.
    • In the aftermath, David shares his story to raise awareness about fire safety, and a call for donations has been made to help him through this difficult time.

David Pace is an Army Veteran who won several medals for his service overseas in Iraq. 

He bought his home in Missouri City for him and his little dog Jax. 

War veteran lost best friend, dog in house fire

An Iraq war veteran is trying to rebuild after he loss everything in a house fire, but his greatest loss was his best friend, his dog Jax. FOX 26's Abigail Dye has the story on the tragic scene.

He spent his time remodeling the entire home hosting his family and grandchildren to make memories. He even had matching recliners for he and Jax. 

On October 29th, David woke up to an alarm.

"I started choking, and my eyes started burning, so I threw myself back on the bed, and I was like, now what?" 

The house was engulfed in flames. He began to crawl out of the house all the while yelling for Jax to get out. 

David got out and ran to a neighbor to call 911. 

"All I was thinking about was Jax," he said. 

David had just received a payoff quote for his mortgage in the mail the day before. He said he was so excited to go make his last payment the next day he could barely sleep. 

 But the fire that night consumed his home, destroying everything. 

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The biggest loss of all he says, is his best friend, Jax.

"He didn't make it out," David said with tears in his eyes. 

He says Jax helped him through life with his disabilities. When asked if Jax is a service dog, David said, "no, he's my best friend."

"This has overshadowed combat. You can't elude thoughts," he said. 

Also lost in the fire, all the Christmas presents David bought for his grandchildren. 

"I'll just buy them all gift cards now," he laughed. 

David says he wants to warn homeowners about the dangers of fire and the importance of checking your smoke alarms. He recently replaced all of his, and touts that as the reason he's alive. 

"I appreciate you taking the time to do this, I don't like crying... but if it helps someone else, it's of value," he said. 

If you'd like to help David through this tough time, you can by donating here.