A San Diego freelance photographer searching for his missing cat instead found himself rushing around a house fire in Vista on Friday, helping rescue a family dog before first responders arrived. Gilbert Gonzalez said he was flying his drone Friday morning looking for his cat, Thomas, when he spo tted smoke rising in a neighborhood on Calera Street. When Gonzalez arrived, he realized he had beaten first responders to the burning home. “The smoke was really dark, it was really thick, it was hard to breath,” Gonzalez said. Hearing noises inside, Gonzalez kicked in the front door and went in to check for anyone trapped. “I got real low. ‘Is anybody in here? Is anybody in here? Does anyone need help?'” Gonzalez said. “I just didn’t want somebody to be inside who wasn’t able to get themselves up,” he added. A sheriff’s deputy soon arrived, and together they found the family’s pet pug outside the home. “Got the pug, had the pug for a little bit. A second later, he darted off,” he said. The dog ran back into the burning house. “I’m sure when he saw the open door, it was home, sweet, home and took off back in the house,” Vista Fire Department Battalion Chief Brendan Halle said. Firefighters arriving on scene rescued the dog and confirmed no people were inside. Vista fire and rescue crews quickly extinguished the flames. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though officials do not suspect arson. “Helping is always great. That comes with the caveat of personal risk,” Halle said. Gonzalez experienced that risk firsthand. After kicking in the front door of the smoke-filled home, he began having trouble breathing and became disoriented. “As soon as that door opened, smoke just hit me in the face. I took too much in,” Gonzalez said. He was treated at the scene and felt better later, though he was disappointed he missed capturing some of the dramatic moments on camera. Thomas the cat belonging to Gilbert Gonzalez has gone missing. Gonzalez also had a message for his missing cat. “Thomas, if you are out there, come back. Come back home, we miss you,” Gonzalez said. Once the fire was out, firefighters found the remains of another dog inside the home that did not survive. The family was not home when the fire started. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less