A family pet is being hailed as a hero after a fire destroyed a Manitoba family's home last week. 

The fire happened on Thursday, May 2, 2019, in Sidney, MB, approximately 137 KM west of Winnipeg.

The Bruhm family left their home with 17-year-old Nikita Pomehichuk still inside sleeping. Within a matter of 20 minutes, they received word of the fire. Nikita Pomehichuk says her dog Eska rescued her.

"The dog must have been sleeping and she jumped on me to wake me up," says Pomehichuk.

"I woke up and there was so much smoke in the house in the area where I was sleeping. The dog is a life-saver, that's for sure. I woke up and got Eska out, and I went back in to yell for my family because the car was here. So, I went inside and yelled for everybody but the smoke just kept coming. I left the house but went back in because I heard our other dog. I went pretty far in and things started breaking down. Everything was just coming down.  I ran out again and called everybody I could. Then I got on the phone to call 911 because that's what everyone was telling me to do." 

Nikita's mother, Terry Bruhm, says, "I was at work during lunch-rush. I got a phone call from the lady across the street at the store saying there was a fire in my house. And at first I was in shock, and all I could do is contact 911 for information. I asked about my daughter because my daughter was in the house.

"It was thanks to Eska, our Husky, who was the one who saved my daughter. Eska was the one who pounced on my daughter because she was sleeping, and pounced on her until she woke up. And that's how she got out."

Fundraisers organized

Sidney Breath of Life Church had organized a ladies event for last Saturday and heard about the tragedy so they made the event a relief effort. Pastor Mike Blume says they collected groceries for the family, as did another Church in Austin and Gladstone who heard about the loss as well.

"Everybody's been helping us with clothes, hygiene products, food... everything," continues Bruhm. "Awesome. It really is."

She says all was fine that morning, and the house was in normal condition. Bruhm says she went to work and her children were in school. Her oldest daughter, Nikita, stayed home because she's home-schooled and was napping at the time.

"My husband (Greg Bruhm) was here along with my nephew, Josh, and my cousin, Donald," says Bruhm. "The house was fine until, I'm guessing, 11:30 a.m. And within 20 minutes that they were gone, the house went up in flames. And we don't know how."

Nephew Joshua Bruhm says, "We were here and went to the lake to cut a tree. We came back, and got a phone call from my aunt (Terry Bruhm), and said that the house was on fire. So, we came back, and by the time we came back the house was up in flames. We lost a couple of animals, just buried one of the cats the other day and just buried the rabbit this morning (Sunday). A church in Austin helped out as well as another church in Gladstone. The Red Cross helped us and gave my aunt money for clothes and food. Everything we had was burnt in the house. We lost a four-month-old puppy, two little kittens and three cats, and my little cousin's dog. With so many helping out, it's great. My family down in Nova Scotia is sending money when they can for gas, etc., to get around. My family out here, my aunt and my cousin, are going to be helping us out. Hopefully, it all works out for us, and we get a new home put on here."