‘A REALLY GOOD MAN’

Maui Wildfire Victim Died Protecting Friend’s Golden Retriever: Report

Franklin Trejos was found lying in the back seat of his car on top of the 3-year-old dog’s remains.

Among the 96 people killed in Hawaii’s wildfires—the deadliest U.S. blaze in a century—was Franklin Trejos, a 68-year-old man who died attempting to shield his friend’s dog from the flames. The friend, retired fire captain Geoff Bogar, told the Associated Press on Monday that both he and Trejos had initially stayed behind to save Bogar’s house, where Trejos had lived for years alongside Bogar and his wife. They finally decided to flee in separate vehicles on Tuesday afternoon. While Bogar was eventually rescued by a police patrol, Trejos was found dead the next day. The 68-year-old’s bones were found in the back seat of his car, lying on the remains of the Bogars’ 3-year-old golden retriever, Sam. “God took a really good man,” Bogar’s wife said. Gov. Josh Green has repeatedly emphasized that the death toll is expected to grow. “We are prepared for many tragic stories,” he told CBS Mornings in an interview that aired on Monday. “They will find 10 to 20 people per day, probably, until they finish. And it’s probably going to take 10 days. It’s impossible to guess, really.”