Cat Rescued from Merrick House Fire

Editor's Note: This article was written by Ron Luparello.

Firefighters rescued a cat from a basement fire on Buckingham Road in Merrick Friday afternoon.

According to a statement from the Merrick Fire Department, a call was received at 1:59 p.m. from a resident reporting smoke in the basement of the house. First responding units arrived three minutes later finding a smoke condition coming from the basement and were told all occupants were out. 

The firefighters began a search for the base of fire which was found in the basement of the home. With heavy smoke and heat coming up the basement stairs, the firefighters descended the narrow path with a hose line and extinguished the fire containing the damage from the fire to the basement. The rest of the home sustained smoke damage. 

There were no injuries reported from the residents or firefighters. Firefighters did remove one family cat which was transported to a veterinary hospital for treatment. Another cat still has not been found. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The operation was under the command of Assistant Chief Christopher Clement. The North Merrick and Freeport Fire Departments were called to the scene to assist with the fire, and the Bellmore, North Bellmore and Roosevelt Fire Departments were on standby for any additional fire or rescue calls in Merrick.

This is a breaking news story, and Patch will provide more details as they're made available.