HEMET: Cat, burned and left not breathing, rescued from house fire-revived
HEMET — Photographs of a local firefighter reviving a small cat – rescued from a burning Hemet home earlier this evening – have been circulating online like an Internet wildfire and have many residents wanting to know how the lucky kitty is doing.
Not surprisingly, photos of the cat’s lucky rescue have also left many across the San Jacinto Valley and beyond “swooning” for the firefighter seen providing emergency medical treatment to the blackened and soot-covered cat.
Images of a City of Hemet firefighter tenderly treating a small cat injured in a house fire have been the talk of the valley since this afternoon’s lucky save. Timothy Franzese/Public Safety Incidents photo
More than a dozen City of Hemet firefighters from three engine companies and one truck company along with other emergency first responders rushed to reports of a residential structure fire at the Colonial Country Club mobile home park about 6:30 p.m. The park sits at 601 Kirby Street, north of W. Devonshire Avenue.
The first arriving engine company reported finding light smoke coming from one of the mobile homes and firefighters set up for a fire attack. Officials quickly learned all occupants had made it out of the residence, but firefighters soon learned a cat had not been found yet and the owners weren’t sure if the cat made it out of the home.
Firefighters who went into search and rescue mode entered the smoke-filled residence and eventually came back out carrying a blackened and lifeless tiny ball of fur.
Area residents saw the cat did not appear to be breathing and firefighters immediately set about working to revive the feline. While providing oxygen to the small cat firefighters inspected it for other injuries and determined in addition to suffering from smoke inhalation, its tiny paws were burned and raw from the fire and heat.
Down one of its nine lives but lucky to still be with us, the little cat began breathing on its own after about an hour of treatment and its owner was reportedly taking the kitty to an area vet for follow-up evaluation and treatment.
Firefighters spotted reviving and saving a small kitty have become the cat’s meow of their station house buddies. Timothy Franzese/Public Safety Incidents photo
Thanks to the efforts of Hemet’s dedicated firefighters, the cat is expected to make a full recovery.
After helping save the innocent cat and returning it to its worried owner, the firefighter seen providing treatment to the fortunate feline – now the cat’s meow of all his station house co-workers – was quick to shrug off all the attention and modestly go back to work, helping other firefighters perform overhaul operations at the home.
After seeing a post about the fire and cat’s successful rescue and resuscitation Jamie Lynn of Hemet wrote, “Omg I swear to all things holy… I ♥ this more than anything.” In a subsequent Facebook share about the incident, Lynn explained how the photos made her feel, writing, “A local FF giving a cat he rescued from a burning home O2…. #swooooon #my2favoritethings.”
After taking the photographs featured in this article regular RCNS photo and video contributor and area community news reporter, Timothy Franzese – of Facebook’s Public Safety Incidents wrote, “Not only do firefighters save people but they take the time to save their animals as well.”
Marisa LaVigne, an EMT for area ambulance company American Medical Response got in on the conversation as well writing, “Love my hero ♥”
But then again, who doesn’t love a capeless superhero who can save the most helpless and innocent of victims, those little fur-babies we all love so much.
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Trevor Montgomery, 46, recently moved to Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 27 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 14 grandchildren.