Cat Rescued 13 Hours After 3-Alarm Wash. Fire
VANCOUVER, Wash. --
A cat with a singed tail and burns to its faces and paws was found alive 13 hours after a three-alarm fire ripped through a Hazel Dell apartment complex.
Firefighters say they found the cat hiding behind a couch at 3:30 a.m. today. They quickly placed a pediatric oxygen mask on the cat to give it fresh air because it was suffering from smoke inhalation.
A Clark County sheriff's deputy has since taken the cat to St. Francis 24-hour Animal Hospital in Vancouver. The feline was in stable condition when it was handed over to Clark County Animal Control.
Officials say a second cat was also found roaming the apartments and it is also missing its owner.
Firefighters say anyone who lives at the Rolling Creek Apartments and is missing a cat should contact the Southwest Washington Humane Society.
The fire at the apartments started in a bedroom and the cause has been ruled accidental. Of the 24 apartment units, 20 were damaged by fire and the remaining four suffered smoke damage.
Nearly 60 people were displaced by the blaze. No one suffered significant injuries.
Copyright 2011 by KPTV.com. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.