A family pet is dead and a home is badly damaged after a Tuesday afternoon fire in the Kitchener’s Stanley Park neighborhood.
Firefighters say they removed seven dogs and cats from the home. The pets were found inside, unconscious from smoke inhalation and had to be resuscitated. Sadly one of the cats did not survive, despite rescue efforts.
Witnesses described firefighters bringing pet after pet out of the burning building.
“It was something out of the ordinary. People assume and associate firefighters helping people out of cars, out of house fires. In this situation I saw the firefighters extracting animals from the household,” said witness Chris Nandor. “The majority of the animals were carried out, they were unconscious and draped over the firefighters shoulders… one very large dog was taken by two firefighters who created a sling with a blanket.”
Witness video taken at the time of the fire shows heavy smoke coming from the home as firefighters worked to get it under control.
Emergency crews including police, firefighters and paramedics were called to the house on Carnaby Crescent just after noon on Tuesday.
The home’s residents were already outside and uninjured when firefighters arrived, however the animals were still trapped in an upstairs bedroom.
The damage is estimated at around $500,000.
Officials say the fire began in the basement, however as the cause is still under investigation.