ORANGE COUNTY
Sisters Critically Hurt in House Fire; 15 Cats Die
By H.G. Reza, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 11, 2002
Two sisters were in critical condition Tuesday after they were caught in a fire that damaged their Santa Ana home and killed 15 cats, fire officials said.
The sisters, 61 and 58, were treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns in the Grossman Burn Center at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, said Santa Ana Fire Department Capt. Randy Black. He declined to identify them.
The fire in the 600 block of South Cypress began around 9:50 p.m. Monday, Black said. Firefighters found the home engulfed in flames. They got one of the women out of the house, and she told rescuers her sister was trapped in a bedroom, Black said.
''Firefighters were hampered by wrought-iron bars on the windows and metal doors, but they managed to get the second victim out through a window,'' he said.
The sisters were rescued, but not the cats inside, Black said. Firefighters did rescue two other cats and a dog, which were taken to the city's animal shelter.
The fire appeared to be accidental, but investigators were combing the ruins Monday looking for a cause, Black said. Damage was estimated at $110,000.
617 S. Cypress Ave
Sofia Ponce-Soto and her sister, Maria Luisa Ponce
By LA times
Sisters Critically Hurt in House Fire; 15 Cats Die
By H.G. Reza, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 11, 2002
Two sisters were in critical condition Tuesday after they were caught in a fire that damaged their Santa Ana home and killed 15 cats, fire officials said.
The sisters, 61 and 58, were treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns in the Grossman Burn Center at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, said Santa Ana Fire Department Capt. Randy Black. He declined to identify them.
The fire in the 600 block of South Cypress began around 9:50 p.m. Monday, Black said. Firefighters found the home engulfed in flames. They got one of the women out of the house, and she told rescuers her sister was trapped in a bedroom, Black said.
''Firefighters were hampered by wrought-iron bars on the windows and metal doors, but they managed to get the second victim out through a window,'' he said.
The sisters were rescued, but not the cats inside, Black said. Firefighters did rescue two other cats and a dog, which were taken to the city's animal shelter.
The fire appeared to be accidental, but investigators were combing the ruins Monday looking for a cause, Black said. Damage was estimated at $110,000.
617 S. Cypress Ave
Sofia Ponce-Soto and her sister, Maria Luisa Ponce
By LA times
