High Springs, FLA – At 5:26 a.m. on Wednesday, July 23rd, firefighters from High Springs, Alachua County, LaCrosse, and Newberry were dispatched to 26702 NW 160th Place for a reported building fire.
Upon arrival, firefighters observed heavy smoke and flames coming from a 2,300-square-foot mobile home, prompting the addition of an extra engine company and tanker.
Entering through the front door, they began to extinguish the fire and search for a missing cat. Heavy smoke and low visibility made it very difficult to reach the area with the most intense fire. “We started a very aggressive attack inside the room and above," said Captain Andy Burkhalter. "We even had fire below us; a partial floor collapse occurred. We deployed a second hose line to the back of the structure to access crawl spaces and overhead areas."
By 7:02, the fire was extinguished, and firefighters began a task known as “overhaul” to search for hidden fires throughout the home. During this time, they continued to look for the missing cat. “I have three cats," said Firefighter/Paramedic Rebecca Creech-Redding. "Where would my cats hide?" She found the scared, unharmed cat in a pile of boxes. The cat was removed, treated for smoke inhalation, and reunited with her owner.
No other injuries were reported. The fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical issue originating beneath the home.
For more information, contact Public Information Officer Kevin Mangan at 352-681-1907 or kmangan [at] highsprings.gov (kmangan[at]highsprings[dot]gov)