A heartwarming rescue took place in Victoria on Thursday morning when a mother cat and her six kittens were saved from an apartment fire at the Camas Gardens supportive housing building.
The Victoria Fire Department was called to the scene at 950 Humboldt Street just after 7:30 a.m. Upon arrival, firefighters were met with thick smoke pouring from one of the units.
Fire crews quickly extinguished the blaze and began ventilating the unit to clear the smoke.
But the situation took a more poignant turn when firefighter Ali Trenter discovered a mother cat struggling to breathe amid the smoke-filled room.
Without hesitation, Trenter brought the cat outside and administered oxygen, reviving the distressed feline.
“Fortunately, the fire had already been extinguished, though there was significant water damage throughout the space due to the building’s sprinkler system,” said the Victoria Firefighter’s union, IAFF Local 730 on Facebook.
“While the crew was checking for hot spots and ensuring the fire was completely extinguished, Firefighter Trenter discovered a female cat that had been overwhelmed by smoke.”
As the mother cat started to recover, the unit’s occupant anxiously informed firefighters that six two-week-old kittens were still trapped inside.
Rushing back into the smoke-filled apartment, the firefighters located the tiny kittens huddled together in a closet.
With great care, they were placed into a firefighter’s helmet and carried outside to safety.
Thanks to the swift actions of the Victoria Fire Department, all the animals—both the mother cat and her litter of kittens—are now safe and appear to be doing well.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
