(UFFW 867 / FILE)
Firefighters responded to two separate structure fires Friday evening, one in a St. James-area apartment and another in a West End home.
The first fire broke out around 4:11 p.m. at a three-storey apartment building on the 200 block of Fairlane Avenue. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the structure. Crews launched an aggressive interior attack and brought the blaze under control just after 6 p.m.
All residents had safely evacuated before firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported, but several cats were rescued from the building.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and no damage estimates have been released.
Just as that fire was being contained, a second call came in at 6 p.m. for a house fire on the 500 block of Home Street.
WFPS crews found a one-and-a-half storey home engulfed in smoke and flames. Due to unsafe conditions, firefighters initially tackled the fire from the outside before moving in to complete an interior attack. The fire was declared under control at 7:13 p.m.
No people were found inside, but a cat was located deceased. The cause of this fire is also under investigation, and damage estimates are not yet available.
