DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. --
A house crawling with cats caught fire in Daytona Beach Tuesday morning. Investigators say the fire was started by ants. Firefighters say more than 80 cats were living in the house and nine of the cats did not make it out alive.
Firefighters had to rescue dozens of other cats when the house on Vine Street started burning. The fire started in the middle of the home. The owners said the living room was used to house as many as 80 cats.
"I was trying to save the cats. That's really all I had in my mind. I feel so bad for them and there's so many that are going to have to be put down, that are sick," victim Rhonda Spivey said.
Firefighters not only had to make sure people got out of the burning home Tuesday, but also dozens of cats. For some of the animals overcome with smoke, they performed CPR using animal-sized oxygen masks. Crews caught and saved as many cats as they could, at least 36.
Even as the home burned, the owner said she went back in as many as 15 times to try to get them all out.
"I've been rescuing for like 40 years. This is the worst. This is the last thing on earth I would have wanted to happen to these animals," Spivey said.
Investigators said carpenter ants building a nest in a wall were shocked in an electrical outlet and caught fire. The owners got out safely, but 23 cats were taken to the Flagler Humane Society. The others will have to be captured during more visits to the property.
The Spiveys said they had no insurance and said they will never keep that many animals again.
"I didn't do it deliberately. That is the last thing I would want to do to any animal," she said.
The Spiveys could be fined $4,000 for having so many animals, but Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood said he will not cite or fine the family.
The house suffered about $30,000 worth of damage.
Copyright 2009 by wftv.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
