WILTON MANORS, FLA. (WSVN) - Flames turned a Wilton Manors couple’s world inside out when a fire that broke out inside their home overnight claimed the lives of their four rescue cats.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the house fire at around 4:40 a.m. on Friday.
Just after 4 a.m., Liz Highland said, she heard the smoke alarm go off, and when she looked up, she saw bright flames.
“I woke up to a big bang, and when I opened my eyes, the room was orange,” said Highland. “I knew something bad happened, so I ran out to the patio area and opened the sliding glass doors, and I saw the flames.”
Highland said she grabbed the fire extinguisher.
“I tried to put it out, but the black smoke was just overwhelming, so I had to get out, and I shut the glass door. Just as I did that, it blew,” she said.
As glass started shattering, Highland and Barbara Busone ran out. However, their four beloved cats were still inside.
“We tried to get our animals out, but we were unsuccessful doing that as well,” said Highland as she fought back tears. “All four of them perished. That’s all I can say right now. We just miss our babies.”
A neighbor who lives across the canal from the couple’s home called 911.
Once fire crews arrived, they were able to extinguish the flames.
“Crews made an aggressive attack and were able to locate the fire in a back patio area,” said FLFR Battalion Chief Stephen Gollan. “Thankfully, the two residents that were in the house at the time of the fire were able to get out due to the smoke alarm going off.”
Firefighters were able to locate the rescue cats.
“Unfortunately, there were four cats that were inside. Our crews were able to locate those cats. However, they were not able to revive them when they brought them out,” said Gollan.
“They were rescues, all rescues. We’ll rescue again, but they were special,” said Highland.
Hours later, 7News cameras captured the charred interior of the home.
Highland and Busone were treated for smoke inhalation. They will be unable to stay in the home, which has been declared unsafe.
The couple said they’re unsure when they will be able to begin to repair the property, as insurance adjusters are all busy with the devastation left behind by Hurricane Ian.
“With what’s going on on the west coast, we don’t know when we’ll see an adjuster,” said Busone.
Florida’s State Fire Marshal is investigating but has yet to confirm what started the blaze.
Fire rescue officials remind homeowners to check the batteries of their fire alarms as residents change their clocks one hour back for the end of daylight savings this weekend.
“A working smoke alarm is the difference between life or death, and in this case, it’s what alerted these individuals to get out of the house,” said Gollan.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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