Cat rescued from townhouse fire in London, Ont.

A firefighter rescues a cat from a townhouse fire on Country Lane on Saturday, Feb 18, 2023 in London, Ont.. The cat was barely breathing, but was given oxygen and survived. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

Firefighters rescued and revived a cat from a townhouse fire Saturday morning in London, Ont.

Fire crews, London police and EMS responded to a call for a basement fire on Country Lane just before noon.

“The call came in for a working structure fire, and they made entry in the basement to extinguish it,” says Chris Walch, a district chief with the London Fire Department.

Crews removed one cat safely, but the second was unresponsive.

A firefighter spent more than 10 minutes giving it oxygen before it eventually sat up. It was taken to an emergency veterinarian.

The occupants of the home were able to get out unharmed due to working smoke detectors.

“I have inspectors on route to determine the cause, and working smoke detectors due save lives,” says Walch.