A Langley resident lost everything Wednesday night to a structure fire, including his beloved bull terrier, Patton.

A cooking accident involving a knocked-over propane tank fueled the flames that destroyed the building Don Cornett was living in, according to South Whidbey Fire/EMS.

When Heather Mayhugh, Cornett’s neighbor and friend, saw the flames, she was afraid the wind might carry the fire. Fearing for her own dogs, she went and put them in her car.

Her dog, Brooklyn, was litter mates with Patton.

“It was such a beautiful thing to see when Don would drive by every morning with Patton’s ears flapping in the wind,” Mayhugh said.

“They would honk or bark as they went by,” she said.

Patton once ate the entire inside of Cornett’s truck, but Mayhugh said he didn’t care.

Mayhugh started a fundraiser through Facebook with the goal to raise $3,000 for Cornett.

Additionally, a GoFundMe account has been set up, with the web link gofundme.com/f/help-don-cornett. As of Friday morning, that campaign had raised $8,333 in donations.

The 7,500-square-foot structure near Venturi Way was a total loss and uninsured, according to South Whidbey Fire/EMS. Jon Gabelein, the public information officer for the fire district, said there was an estimated $150,000 in losses.

Mayhugh said Cornett had been living in an Airstream trailer within the storage building where the fire occurred. He had been in the process of fixing up an apartment.

South Whidbey Fire/EMS responded around 7:29 p.m. to the blaze Wednesday. Approximately 21 firefighters and support personnel were on scene until just after midnight extinguishing hotspots while an excavator helped the crews reach confined spot fires. Some crews returned Thursday morning to continue extinguishing hot spots.

Cornett suffered second degree burns and was evaluated by WhidbeyHealth emergency medical services staff. Gabelein said he is currently receiving support from friends and neighbors.