They knocked the flames down quickly enough to prevent their spreading to the downstairs unit or the detached apartment to the rear, according to Gunter. No one was injured, and the occupant’s four cats also escaped unharmed.
Although they were innocent bystanders, the cats are indirectly responsible. The resident had built a plywood contraption to hold catnapping baskets in the sun room, and a piece of the wood was quite close to the electric wall heater, according to Gunter, who investigated the cause and origin of the blaze.