An early morning fire in Hope left three pets gasping for air as fire fighters freed them from the home and applied the department’s “pet mask” to administer oxygen to the hapless animals.
The fire at 465 Park St. was reported by a neighbour at 8:29 a.m. when she noticed smoke billowing from the roof vents of the house. The neighbour was aware that the residents of the house were not at home and knew that a number of pets were in the home.
When fire fighters arrived, they entered the property only to find a dog anxiously waiting at the door.
“The poor little guy was white, but he sure isn’t white now,” said neighbour, Sheryl Bruggeman. “The smoke has turned him a sort of grey/black colour, but he’s okay now.”
Fire fighters also located two cats in the home and brought them out to receive first aid.
“It’s the first time we’ve been able to use the pet masks, and it’s a really good thing we had them,” said Fire Chief, Tom DeSorcy.
The masks were donated last year by the Fraternal Order of Eagles but had not been used until Tuesday morning.
“It’s a good thing we had them. Those poor little guys were in pretty rough shape,” said DeSorcy.
Although the exact cause of the fire is, as yet, to be determined, fire fighters encountered flames in the kitchen area and initial indications are that the fire originated on the stove top.
The fire was quickly extinguished and the attic was inspected to ensure that no further hot spots were present.
As for the pets, the dog is resting at a neighbour and both cats were transported to a vet for further observation and treatment. Initial indications are that they’ll all be just fine.