Cats rescued from trailer fire in Washington City

Washington Fire Department cleans up after a small trailer fire, Washington city, Utah, Feb. 13, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A pair of cats were pulled to safety after a fire in a mobile-home trailer parked at a residence on the corner of Merrill and 400 E streets in Washington City Saturday morning.

Washington City Fire Department’s Chris Noel (right) commands firefighters at the scene of a trailer fire, Washington City, Utah, Feb. 13, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

A passerby along Merrill noticed flames coming from the caravan and notified the homeowner, who promptly called the Washington City Fire Department before taking his hose and climbing atop the trailer and spraying in from the roof.

Washington City Fire Department’s Chris Noel — who was passing by on his day off — asked the homeowner to get off the trailer when the flames spread. Noel would eventually take command of the incident in street clothes.

“I asked the gentleman to get off the roof and let fire personnel come in and take care of the rest of the situation,” Noel said.

The on-duty firefighters arrived shortly thereafter, around 11 a.m., and had the fire extinguished shortly. The trailer sustained some smoke, fire and water damage but Noel believed it to be salvageable.

The cause of the fire was not immediately confirmed, but was believed to be a malfunction of the trailer’s refrigerator. Noel said the contents of the fridge were “regular” and not suspected to be the root of the ignition. He said an issue with the unit, which he described as “older,” was the likely culprit. The flames were mostly contained to the refrigerator.

No injuries were reported. Upon arrival, the homeowner informed firefighters that there were two cats in the trailer. The first cat was rescued quickly, but Noel said the second one caused more problems.

“On initial search, they went in and they were able to find one and brought it out within a matter of minutes,” Noel said. “The second one was hidden pretty well, so it took them a little bit to find the second one… The cats are good. They’re running around. They’re good.”

The Washington City Police Department also responded to the incident. The fire department sent a primary engine along with a smaller, second unit.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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