Five Cats Rescued In North Suburban House Fire
SKOKIE, Ill. (STMW) - Five cats were rescued from a burning house Thursday afternoon in north suburban Skokie after the pets' owners told firefighters they were still inside.
Fire officials said that when they arrived at the house in the 8400 block of Christiana Avenue at 1:34 p.m., heavy fire could be seen coming from the southwest corner of the structure.
Once the owner informed fire personnel of the pets still inside, they were able to remove each of the pets successfully, they said.
The owner was the only person inside the house when the fire broke out.
The fire was quickly extinguished, department officials said, and contained to a single room. But the entire home, currently uninhabitable, sustained significant smoke damage throughout. The Fire Department estimated damage at $100,000. Two people who live there have been displaced because of the fire.
Fire Department officials said that the cats were treated for minor smoke inhalation, given oxygen and released back to the owner in good health. The box alarm fire required two trucks, two squad vehicles, two ambulances, a command vehicle and two engines. Two-dozen personnel were on the scene to fight the fire, and the last unit left about 90 minutes after the first unit arrived.
Also on the scene were Skokie Police, Skokie Human Services and the Red Cross.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials said.
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