The Lopez family can finally breathe a sigh of relief. A huge fire broke out in a neighbourhood of Opa-locka, South Florida, completely gutting JC Motors and Gary Used Auto Parts. The family had founded and run both businesses for over three decades.
But beyond the material and financial loss, the family feared they had also lost their two dogs, Fantasma and Mimi, who were on the premises when the fire started.
A seventeen-hour wait
Convinced his four-legged friends had perished in the blaze, Gary Lopez, the owners' son and manager of the shops, refused to leave the scene. He spent the entire night watching over the rubble, his heart heavy with grief.
A miraculous reunion
But a miracle happened the next day, more than seventeen hours after the fire first broke out.
Fantasma and Mimi suddenly emerged from the wreckage, running straight towards Gary and jumping up at him. It was a true miracle.
While the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue confirmed there were no human casualties, the cause of the blaze remains unknown for now and is under official investigation.