Multiple crews respond to Clayville fire; firefighters work to rescue cats

By By JOLEEN FERRIS

Story Created: Sep 25, 2009 at 12:48 PM EST

Story Updated: Sep 25, 2009 at 5:18 PM EST

CLAYVILLE, N.Y. (WKTV) - The house at 2427 Church Road in Clayville has been in Debbie LaShomb's family for more than 100 years.

LaShomb received a call from her fiance this afternoon, telling her the house was on fire. Her thoughts immediately went to her beloved pets, trapped inside the burning home.

"...so that was the biggest burden on my heart when I was driving home was did any of them survive?" said LaShomb.

Soon, she'd have her answer, when a firefighter brought a drenched and shaking Patches out of the burning home. They gave her a little oxygen and it looks like she's going to be alright. A few minutes later, out came Shadow, a male kitten.

"But when I saw them I started crying because I was like 'there's the bright spot in all this.'"

It doesn't look like three other feral kittens LaShomb had rescued and her pet parakeet were as fortunate.

Several fire departments battled the fire Friday afternoon. It wasn't an easy task; more than an hour after the fire started, smoke and flames were still coming out of the roof of the home.

LaShomb says fire officials told her the fire might have started in a computer room. Neither she nor her fiance remember anything unusual before they left the house.
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