Two men who hiked for miles through Northern California wildfire territory expecting a grim discovery were met with a joyful one instead.
Jack Weaver and his brother-in-law Patrick Widen walked around police barricades, through a creek and up treacherous hilly roads to spare Weaver's mother from the grim task of recovering the body of the family's beloved dog Izzy.
Katherine Weaver was convinced Izzy died in a ferocious wildfire that destroyed their Northern California neighbourhood and sent them fleeing for safety.
When the men reached the end of the narrow road, Weaver swore as he saw that the house was completely gone. But then Izzy came bounding from the rubble for a joyous reunion.
Weaver, who was filming the scene for his parents, captured the reunion on his phone in a video that's gone viral on Facebook, providing a rare bit of good news amid endless scenes of severe destruction.
