Heroic firefighters in Massachusetts sprung into action to rescue a helpless elderly cat from a 5-alarm fire, aiding a tearful reunion with its owner.
Naz, a 13-year-old gray tabby cat, was stuck in an apartment of a three-story Somerville building when fire alarms began to sound.
The fire started in the mixed-use building in Teele Square at around 5.00pm on Wednesday when Warren Thanes, a resident and Naz’s owner, was at work.
While everyone managed to exit the building safely, the pet cat was stuck in a cupboard without anyone coming to help.
Thanes was returning home when he saw fire trucks outside his building, WCVB reported.
While flames were not visible at the scene, a large amount of smoke was coming out of the building.
Worried about his cat, Thanes requested the firemen to rescue Naz.
The brave men fought the blaze through the evening and reunited the scared cat with its teary-eyed owner.
Naz, a 13-year-old gray tabby cat, was stuck in an apartment when a fire broke. Its owner was at work when the incident took place
The firefighters went inside the building after the situation was in control and found the scared cat in a closet
‘I was sitting waiting for someone to go in there and get my cat,’ Thanes told the outlet.
‘My cat is so precious to my partner and me. We need our cat. They told me to wait patiently.’
Chelsea firefighter Alex Lozada said that he went inside the building to look for Naz after the flames were put out but it was not easy to find the little pet.
‘It was tough to find. It was hidden in the closet, dark cat, dark closet and we almost left and I saw the yellow eyes pop out and I was like, “I found it.”’
The firefighter arrived downstairs with the cat as cheers of relief erupted.
‘It is the only thing that matters, when tragedy like this happen,” Thanes said.
Warren Thanes and his partner have lived in the building for 23 years.
Four buildings, each containing eight apartments, were damaged in the fire, the outlet reported.
Somerville Fire Chief Charles Breen said: ‘We had to pull all the ceilings on the top floor, and I had a number of crews on the roof to get the roof open to let the fire vent itself.’
Forty-three people were displaced as a result of the blaze, according to the Red Cross.
