By David Harris
Flint Journal
FLINT, Mich. — Fire ripped through the small, one-story Reid Road home, and firefighters rushed inside to save lives.
Still, this was a little different.
The homeowner at 3200 Reid Road made it out of the burning home unscathed. Her 15 cats were trapped inside.
Firefighters managed to get the cats out of the house, but two died of smoke inhalation.
The cats were huddled in the back corner of the house, said Carla Zaruba, an emergency medical technician with Regional EMS.
Firefighters handed the cats to Zaruba, who used oxygen masks specifically designed to fit over a cat’s nose on eight or nine of them. She said they were gasping for air.
“Whenever you save an animal, it’s a good thing,” said Zaruba, who previously had helped save animals while with the Burton Fire Department.
Paramedic Jim Mahoney said it was an interesting sight.
“It was kind of cute to see all the firefighters with cats,” he said.
Neighbor Angie Aguirre, 41, said she was glad the cats were saved and hopes firefighters would do the same for her two dogs if there was a fire.
“They’re part of my family,” she said.
The homeowner could not be reached for comment, and it is unclear why she had so many cats. The homeowner reportedly took the cats to a relative’s home after the blaze.
The fire started in the kitchen and likely was a cooking fire, said Kent Maricle, Grand Blanc fire battalion chief.
The kitchen and the living room were heavily damaged. He said about half the house was destroyed.