Small fire in city quickly knocked down; cat rescued
An apartment and its contents sustained about $10,000 in damage Thursday morning when a fire broke out in the kitchen.
The tenant, whose name was unavailable, was cooking around 10:15 a.m. when the fire started and he called 911.
Butler Bureau of Fire Chief Chris Switala said the tenant had the fire partially extinguished when fire crews arrived minutes later.
“The resident had knocked it down some, but it was still burning, so we put it out when we got there,” Switala said. “It was confined to the kitchen.”
Police had to restrain the tenant once firefighters entered the apartment because the tenant's cat was still inside the home.
Switala said after the fire was extinguished, firefighters found the unharmed cat hiding under furniture and returned it to its worried owner.
He said the apartment is uninhabitable because of fire, smoke and water damage, but the other half of the duplex was unaffected.
Switala said the American Red Cross is assisting the tenant.
No one was at home in the other side of the duplex, which sits behind 305 E. Penn St.
According to county tax records, the property is owned by John and Mary Ann Marten.
Butler Township Volunteer Fire Company, Veterans Affairs Fire and Emergency Services, Butler City Police Department and Butler Ambulance Service responded to the scene.
