PENNSYLVANIA (WHP) \u2014 Samuel Byler remembers the flames. He remembers the pain. And he remembers the terrifying realization that his dog was still trapped inside the burning RV he called home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was on fire,\u201d Byler recalled. \u201cAnd so I remember as a kid, I stopped dropping roll, right? So I threw myself out the driver\u2019s door.\u201d <\/p>\n
But even after escaping, Byler knew he couldn\u2019t leave. His dog, Dolly, was still inside.<\/p>\n
Byler said he ran around the burning RV, forced open a door, and rushed back into the flames. <\/p>\n
\u201cFlame shot out,\u201d he recalled. <\/p>\n
He grabbed Dolly, tucked her under his shirt, and ran outside, screaming for help. Both survived.<\/p>\n
But in the months since that frightening morning in June, Byler has struggled to recover from losing nearly everything he owned.<\/p>\n
Byler, 59, said his RV had broken down, and he had spent much of the night trying to repair it. The vehicle was more than transportation. It was his home, his workspace, and the place where he was trying to rebuild his financial future.<\/p>\n
After replacing several engine parts, Byler said he still couldn\u2019t get the RV running. He had run out of starting fluid, so he tried pouring gasoline into the carburetor. <\/p>\n
When he turned the ignition, the engine backfired. Byler described a burst of bright blue and red flames shooting from the engine. <\/p>\n
Startled, he spilled the gasoline he was holding, and the fire spread.<\/p>\n
Byler said he suffered serious burns, including third-degree burns to his hand, and spent 11 days hospitalized. Although his injuries have healed considerably, he said two of his fingers still don\u2019t move the way they once did.<\/p>\n
After leaving the hospital, Byler spent time in a homeless shelter. Dolly couldn\u2019t stay there with him. Byler said he was grateful when his brother helped reunite them and provided a temporary place for them to stay.<\/p>\n
But he is still searching for a stable, permanent home.<\/p>\n
Months after the fire, Byler said he continues to experience nightmares about what happened. <\/p>\n
\u201cI struggle with, you know, my identity, I guess,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know who I am anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe having a roof over my head or, you know, some kind of a roof over my head, whether it be a van or a, you know, one apartment, what have you, someplace me and my dog can relax,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While he cannot recover everything that burned, Byler said the experience has changed how he looks at life. He\u2019s learned not to take the things he has for granted.<\/p>\n