AKRON, Ohio — Firefighters in Akron came to the rescue of several furry friends amid a house fire last weekend.
According to the Akron Fire Department, crews were called to the 1200 block of Sherman Street at around 5 p.m. on Saturday for a report of a structure fire. When they arrived, fire companies discovered heavy black smoke and flames coming from the basement of a single-family house.
While all of the human occupants of the home were able to escape outside, Akron fire crews discovered that there were five dogs and several cats still trapped inside. As firefighters worked to locate and put out the blaze, they found and rescued five dogs and several cats, all of which had suffered "significant" smoke inhalation.
Akron fire officials say paramedics at the scene used specialized animal oxygen masks to assist the pets' breathing and help revive them. "All animals were doing much better at the conclusion of the incident," noted the Akron Fire Fighters Association Local 330 on Facebook.
No other injuries were reported. The American Red Cross was contacted to provide assistance to the impacted residents. There is no word yet on a cause of the fire.
