Meet Blaze!
Blaze is the canine companion of Fire Chief Judy Thill. Originally from Alabama, he was adopted through a Minn. rescue organization by Chief Thill in September 2021, making his fire department debut at IGH Days just a day later.
While Blaze may think he is a Dalmatian, a dog breed which is often associated with fire departments, he is actually a Catahoula Leopard mix. But let’s not tell Blaze that, as he enjoys being a traditional fire dog ;) While Dalmatians originally used to live in the fire stations to take care of the horses and run alongside the wagons when fire engines were horse-drawn, their duties, or the duties of any animal in the fire station now, are simply to bring smiles to the faces of the children and boost the morale for the crews.
When Blaze is not watching over the fire trucks, he enjoys playing with his numerous squeaky toys and balls.