Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR) crews extinguished an early Monday morning residential fire on SW 4th Avenue and saved a cat.
According to a GFR release, crews from Stations 1 and 3 were dispatched to 201 SW 4th Ave. at 2:37 a.m. where they found a fire in a two-story structure broken into multiple apartments.
Despite being hindered by the layout of the building, firefighters were able to battle the blaze and low visibility by using the “Vent Enter Search” (VES) technique where they enter through a window to search a room that has been cut off from the rest of the house by fire, according to the release.
“The firefighters do not know what environment they will be entering and conditions are normally zero visibility in these situations,” said GFR District Chief Ron Thomas in the release.
The fire displaced five residents, but no injuries were reported. Firefighters also rescued a cat that was treated on scene.
“The quick actions of the crews stopped the fire from spreading to nearby structures,” said GFR District Chief Mike Steele in the release.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Fires are so devastating. I’m glad the kitty was saved. My heart goes out to everyone involved.