Syracuse, N.Y. -- A cat woke up residents inside a burning Syracuse apartment near the Westcott neighborhood Saturday morning.
Around 8:30 a.m., a residential fire was reported in the apartment at 315 Fellows Ave, according to Onondaga County 911 Center dispatches. The residents inside reported a fire near the back door of the apartment.
The three residents were asleep when the fire broke out, Syracuse Fire Department Deputy Chief Barry Lasky said. A cat inside the home woke up the residents, he said.
Shorty after, they noticed the fire and evacuated, he said.
The fire was still active when crews arrived at the scene, Lasky said. They were able to knock out the flames within 20 minutes, he said.
The fire was contained to the house’s first-floor apartment, he said.
Although the second-floor apartment was undamaged, both floors will have to be evacuated, Lasky said. The fire department will have to turn the power off inside the home, he said.
All the residents will be displaced, he said. Red Cross disaster relief teams were on scene to assist people.
Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.