NORWICH, Conn.—Fast-moving firefighters are credited for clearing an apartment complex during a weekend fire, preventing loss of human life and serious injuries.
However, dozens of pets are missing and presumed dead following the blaze that leveled the 120-unit Norwich apartment complex early Saturday morning.
Animal control officers returned to the site Monday to sift through debris for animal remains and look for pets who may have escaped.
Beverly Goulet, human services director in Norwich, said residents were distraught.
"They were crying, 'I can't find my pet, I can't find my cat. I don't know where he is,'" she said.
Twenty-one of the 163 residents had pets, with many owning several cats, Gremminger said.
Six cats, including one named Jeter for the New York Yankees shortstop, were in the Norwich animal shelter Monday.
Three of the six cats were rescued by their owners living in temporary housing where pets are not allowed. Two cats were found soaked in the rubble. Their identities and owners are unknown.
Shauna Million, 29, said her orange cat, Tigger, is missing. She was on the third floor and wants to believe he's all right.
"My heart tells me he made it. But my gut tells me he didn't," she said. "The cat meant the world to me."
Firefighters who saw evidence of a pet broke windows to give the animal a way out, Gremminger said.
One girl rescued two ferrets in a backpack, she said.
Fire Chief Ken Scandariato said firefighters focused on saving human lives, contain the fire and limit property damage.
"If we find something living in an area that we're searching, we either carry it out or we hand deliver it out," he said.
Gremminger said she was approached by Jeter's owner the morning of the fire.
"You've got to find my cat, Jeter," he said. "It's baseball season and he's a Yankees fan. He's the only one I have."
Jeter, whose whiskers were singed by the heat, is safe. But Gremminger has been unable to reach his owner.
She left a message on his cell phone, but he hasn't called back. The phone may be lost, out of batteries or destroyed.
Gremminger said she remembers how relieved she felt when she found Jeter.
"It makes you feel good, because that day was so horrible."
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Information from: Norwich Bulletin
