Jul 03, 2026
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) — Cellphone video captured the moment a first responder came to the rescue of a fawn trapped underneath debris, one of several rescued days apart as a wildfire raged near Tampa. Pasco County Fire Rescue firefighter Cameron Hall said he saw one baby deer unable to move and moved in to rescue him. As crews battled the flames that scorched about 500 acres, Hall said, he spotted the defenseless animal. “When I got out, I noticed there was a little baby deer stuck in this tanglement of ferns and brush,” he said. “It was definitely scared, definitely hurt. I mean, its feet were all bloody, its stomach was covered in ash.” Hall managed to free the fawn from the brush and made sure he would survive. “We gave it some water. We did some oxygen for it to try to get it to relax, try to talk to it, everything like that,” he said. That same day, the firefighter brought the fawn to the Owl’s Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife, where volunteers named him Phoenix. A few days later, two twin fawns were also rescued from the flames.. “The came in distraught, couldn’t,” said Porter, the director of Owl’s Nest. Sadly, one of the twins died. Volunteers named the surviving fawn Tala, which means “survivor” in Cherokee. “She came in Monday, so she’s figuring it out with us,” said Porter. Tala was seen being fed milk from a bottle. Porter believes the deer were likely born the day they were found and were abandoned by their mothers during the fire. “The problem is, with the fawns, they get left during the day, they literally – they roll into a ball and wait for Mom, so that’s what probably what [Phoenix] was doing,” she said. Phoenix and Tala suffered minor burns but are expected to make a full recovery. “To learn the outcome, that he is gonna make it and make a full recovery, that’s awesome,” said Hall. “We’ve been successful so far. It’s a long process, but it’s worth it,” said Porter. “I mean, how could you say no to something this cute?” In a matter of months, the fawns will be fully grown and on their own once again. ...read more read less
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