The Victoria Fire Department says they retrieved a cat while quickly extinguishing a small balcony fire at a View Street apartment building Saturday afternoon.
The fire was reported at around 12:19 p.m. at a balcony on the fourth floor of The Chelsea apartment building on View Street. The balcony was on the Quadra Street side and 14 firefighters were able to put it out within five minutes.
VicPD reported a cat was trapped on the balcony and Battalion Chief Brian Elvedahl said the cat ran inside the apartment once firefighters came to put out the fire. Prior to the firefighters’ arrival, some of the building occupants were holding a sheet under the balcony in case the cat jumped.
“The cat looked ready to jump but it was probably too high,” Elvedahl said.
Elvedahl said the building was evacuated at the time of the fire and there were no injuries. Everyone was allowed back into their apartments, including the occupant of the apartment where the fire was. Elvedahl said there was minimal smoke in the building and only one of the panes of the sliding glass door on the balcony was broken. The other pane behind it stayed intact.
The fire is under investigation but Elvedahl said the probable cause is smoking. The damage was limited to the exterior stucco cladding and sliding glass door. The estimated cost of the damage is $10,000.
Alexa Huffman
