Fire damages Jefferson City home, imperils feline occupants

Jefferson City Fire Department truck
Jefferson City Fire Department truck

The careless disposal of smoking materials was the cause for a structure fire Monday night in Jefferson City.

According to Jefferson City Fire Department reports, the fire was reported in the 100 block of Bolton Drive 9:38 p.m. The fire was located on the back of the residence and several neighbors called 911 to report the fire.

The first arriving fire unit reported that there was significant smoke and flames coming from the rear of the building. The occupant of the residence was out of the structure when fire fighters arrived, but four cats were reported still inside the building.

Firefighters attacked the fire on the rear of the building while simultaneously entering the front of the building to attempt to locate the cats. The fire was knocked down and the crew found four cats on the second floor of the structure and one cat on the first floor.

The cats were removed from the building and turned over to Cole County EMS personnel and firefighters who began resuscitation efforts. The department reported three cats were initially very lethargic and the other two were unconscious, but all cats survived. One cat was returned to the owner and the other four were secured by Jefferson City Animal Control for the night.

Fire units remained on the scene for over two-and-a-half hours to remove smoke, finish extinguishing the fire and to assist the resident in securing valuables. There were no human injuries reported.

This page, posted at 6:55 a.m., was updated at 7:13 a.m. with a rewritten version of the information.