Firefighters rescue cat from house fire

Firefighters extinguished a house fire in west Santa Rosa Monday afternoon and rescued the homeowner's scorched cat.

The blaze was reported at 3:18 p.m. at a home on Clover Drive off West College Avenue.

Firefighters, some of whom were training at a facility just down the street, arrived in less than 5 minutes and found a bedroom engulfed in flames. They put it out in about 10 minutes, Battalion Chief Mark Basque said.

In their search for victims, firefighters discovered the homeowner's cat hiding in the room. Its fur was singed, it had burned paws, and suffered smoke inhalation, Basque said.

"It's amazing that it even survived," Basque said.

The cause of the fire appeared to be candles coming into contact with some clothing or bedding, he said. The loss was estimated at about $25,000.