ORANGE — A cat was rescued Wednesday evening from an Oaklawn Avenue structure fire that has been deemed accidental in nature.
The Orange Fire Department was dispatched to 120 Oaklawn Ave. at 5:23 p.m. for a report of a fire with flames showing from a second-floor window, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. The family was able to evacuate from the home.
The first emergency personnel to arrive confirmed the presence of smoke, and Capt. James Hopkins summoned mutual aid.
Firefighters entered the structure and quelled a fire that was making its way across the ceiling of a second-floor bedroom. Though the fire damage was mostly contained to that room and its contents, there was smoke and water damage throughout the residence. The affected room is uninhabitable for now, and the family is being assisted by the American Red Cross.
Though the fire is considered to be accidental, an exact cause remains under investigation, according to interim Fire Chief James Young.
During the search phase, an interior crew on the first floor located one of two cats that had been reported missing by the family. According to the Facebook post, the animal was safely removed from the house.
The Fire Department commended the family’s actions during the ordeal. One of the five children reportedly noticed the fire and closed the bedroom door to contain the flames, and all family members quickly evacuated and awaited the arrival of first responders.
“We’re very proud of that child,” Young said in a phone interview. “They did everything exactly right.”
