Saskatoon firefighters rescue five cats after major house blaze

The Saskatoon Fire Department says five cats were evacuated alive and no one was injured in a major fire that seriously damaged two homes on Monday.

Crews were called to a home on Zeman Crescent in the Silverwood Heights neighbourhood just before 4 p.m.

When they arrived they found a two-storey house engulfed in flames, a fire department news release said.

By 3:52 p.m., flames spread to the neighbouring house, melting vinyl siding.

Firefighters moved from an interior attack to an exterior attack shortly after 4 p.m. because of the extent of fire in both homes, the news release said.

Flames burned through the roof of the first house, causing a chimney collapse around 4:36 p.m., the fire department says.

Crews had the fire under control just after 4:40 p.m., after which they were able to retrieve five cats from the first home.

The occupants were out of the houses when firefighters arrived, the news release said.

A fire investigator estimates damages around $500,000 to the first house, and $250,000 to the neighbouring home.

No cause has been determined, the investigator says.