Donation helps EMS save cats from house fire

NEBRASKA CITY – Donated oxygen masks for pets are credited for helping to save the lives of two cats that were pulled from a house on fire in Nebraska City Wednesday afternoon.

A neighbor alerted the fire department to smoke at 718 N. Eighth St. in the early stages of a fire and an interior crew was able to extinguish the fire where it started in a back room.

Fire Chief Rob Schreiner said while no one was home at the time of the fire, firefighters were alerted that five cats were inside.

Schreiner: “We had to carry each one of them out. There is one that escaped on its own. They opened the front door and it ran out. The other four were carried out.”

Cathy Blankenship of Nebraska City Fire and Rescue said she feels having the oxygen equipment designed for pet rescue made the difference for the cats that survived.

 

 

Blankenship: “We have oxygen masks on them for right now. Years ago, Invisible Fence was the brand name of the people who came down and talked to us and donated the masks to us specifically for animals.”

The Animal Hospital of Nebraska City reports that both cats are expected to recover. One will need some more time on oxygen at the veterinarian.

Schreiner said there was a lot of  damage to the house, but it is also recoverable.

He credited the neighbor for calling quickly before the fire had a chance to grow. The main level was full of smoke and the fire was ready to spread rapidly had a window cracked before firefighters arrived.