The Turlock Fire Department rescued and resuscitated a family’s dog after finding it in a burning home Wednesday afternoon.

The pit-bull dog, named Buster, is expected to make a full recovery. The fire displaced the family of three from the home in the 3400 block of N. Olive Avenue.

The fire was reported around 3 p.m. Wednesday. The first fire crews to arrive found thick smoke pouring from the eaves and the rear of the house, said Turlock Fire spokesman Capt. Kevin Tidwell.

The residents were not home at the time and firefighters had been told the family dog was inside the residence, so they forced entry into the home.

Crews initiated an interior fire attack and primary search, and encountered heavy smoke and zero visibility throughout the structure. Firefighters located and extinguished the fire in the kitchen which was spreading into the attic.

“An aggressive search of the house by Turlock City firefighters found the family’s near death pit-bull, saving its life,” Turlock Fire Chief Robert Talloni said.

Firefighters and paramedics gave a lethargic Buster oxygen until he was alert and walking again. The family then took Buster to a local veterinary hospital where he was evaluated and expected to make a full recovery.

The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental.

Turlock City Fire responded to the incident with three engines, Squad 32, a battalion chief, a division chief, the fire marshal, and the chief of the department. The Ceres Fire Department responded to the incident with one engine and a battalion chief as part of a resource sharing agreement. Turlock Rural Fire District assisted with city coverage during the incident. Other assisting agencies included Turlock Police, American Medical Response PG&E and TID.