Firefighters rescue cat from Canaan structure fire

Published: 03-03-2023 12:56 PM

CANAAN — Firefighters rescued a cat from a structure fire caused by a candle that ignited curtains in a living room in a Canaan Street apartment Wednesday night.

The town’s fire and EMS departments responded to a 911 hang up call after 10 p.m. where a caller said “fire” before hanging up, according to a news release from the Canaan Fire Department. Firefighters arrived on scene around 10:15 p.m. and started to put out the fire in the second-floor apartment. They also rescued a cat from the apartment and gave it oxygen.

No one was injured. The downstairs apartment had water damage. The Red Cross is providing assistance to residents.

At the scene, firefighters discovered that the apartment building did not have smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, according to the release. The building, which was valued at $184,900 in 2022, is owned by Franklin, N.H.-based Hendo Properties. 

In the release, the Canaan fire department cautioned residents to be careful when using flames near materials that can catch fire.

“Also a reminder to all who own a rental property, that it is required by law that all apartments be equipped with properly working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms,” the release stated. “The occupants of the building were extremely fortunate that this fire was able to be noticed and stopped early.”

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