The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Firefighters made an unfortunate discovery upon entering a smoke-filled Channing Dr. home Wednesday, as a pet cat had succumbed to smoke inhalation. But firefighters were able to rescue a second cat from the basement while simultaneously containing the electrical fire to the kitchen, where it had started. "You couldn't even see in the building; there was that much smoke," said Fire Chief Jim Petrie, who rescued the cat along with firefighter Randy McLaren. As with many fires, Petrie said this one could have been a lot worse. "The owner stated that he could have been lying down on the couch. Fortunately, he was out of the house," he said. The blaze destroyed the kitchen and caused smoke damage throughout the rest of the home. After dousing the kitchen fire, firefighters carefully examined the home to ensure flames had not spread elsewhere. They also placed tarps over the furniture downstairs to protect against water damage. The owner reported the fire just past 5 p.m. Wednesday after he was unable to enter the home due to the heavy level of smoke.
