Firefighters have rescued five cats from a burned-out building in Meriden days after flames tore through the complex and forced some 60 residents from their homes.
Fire spread across 22 units of the Crown Village condos Saturday afternoon, according to the fire department. Two firefighters were sent to the hospital, and although no residents were hurt, at least one was forced to jump from a balcony to safety.
Firefighters rescued two cats at the time but several others were missing and feared dead. They returned to the scorched remains Thursday after someone watched a cat run into the burned building, fire officials said.
While they were searching for that cat, they found four others, according to the fire department. Firefighters have now rescued seven cats from the building: two on Saturday and five on Thursday.
It's still not clear what caused the blaze. Fire officials said earlier this week that the building was not required to have sprinklers or fire extinguishers.
Meriden Emergency Services' Spirit of Giving is collecting new clothing, gift cards and household items for the residents who have been displaced. You can bring donations to Hunters Ambulance at 450 West Main Street in Meriden.
