Off-Duty Firefighter Rescues Pets Before Flames Reach House

FRANKTOWN, Colo. (CBS4) -- An as-yet unnamed off-duty firefighter launched into action Saturday afternoon when a destructive garage fire began to move into the main residence.

The fire was reported at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the home in the 11,000 block of E. Grant Road. The location is about four miles directly east of Franktown.

The firefighter, a volunteer, was first on scene. He was assisted by an ambulance crew that arrived behind him.

Three dogs and a cat were immediately rescued as the fire encroached on the home from an detached garage, according to details provide by the Franktown Fire Protection District.

It took longer to get to a second cat, but the feline was eventually located. Firefighters resuscitated it with CPR and oxygen, and it was taken to a local emergency vet.

A third cat was found in the basement by the homeowners Sunday morning.

All the pets are OK, according to the homeowners.

The fire was declared under control a little more than an hour into the firefight.

The cause of it is still under investigation, but Franktown Fire Chief Dave Woodrick told CBS4 it appears accidental. The homeowners were not home at the time the fire started. Neighbors called it in to 9-1-1.

Woodrick also said the detached garage was only 10-12 feet away from the house, and that proximity played a role in the severity of the blaze.