67-year-old man dies attempting to rescue his dogs from Baltimore County fire

A 67-year-old man died attempting to rescue his two dogs from a house fire Monday night in Baltimore County, his family said.

Smashed glass and burned out windows are all that remain, where a fire destroyed a home around 10:15 p.m. on Cherrybrook Road in Randallstown.

Firefighters arrived to find flames spurting from the front and the rear of the home. Herbert Thomas and his two dogs were found dead next to each other.

Fire officials said Thomas initially escaped the home before running back inside for his dogs.

"A big personality, super friendly, always happy, always funny, laughing, just I can't even," Thomas's daughter told WJZ off camera.

Investigators believe the fire was accidental due to unattended cooking.

The Baltimore County Fire Department says this was the fourth fire fatality in 2025 in the county.

"The Baltimore County Fire Department reminds residents to always stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop and ensure burners and appliances are turned off before leaving," the Baltimore County Fire Department stated. "BCoFD strongly recommends residents to install and test smoke alarms in multiple locations throughout the home."

"He was my everything"

Thomas's told WJZ her father's death was the second major loss her family has endured this year.

"We recently lost my sister, one of his daughters, and he just did everything for her girls, so it's just a shock," Thomas's daughter said.

Thomas's daughter said she had visited an hour before the fire, and that her father was the one who called 911 when the fire started.

He then went back into the home to get his dogs, which his daughter said were like his babies.

"Everything, their names were Zaza and Bronco, and he walked them, whether it was early in the morning or real late at night," she said.  

Thomas's daughter said it doesn't surprise her that he tried to save them, and she doesn't know how she's going to move forward without her dad.

"I'm super devastated because he was my everything," she said.