By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Cats are said to have nine lives but the same does not hold true for other mammals. A Hoisington cat may have saved the life of its owner and a canine roommate from a housefire in the early hours of Friday morning. Just before 4 a.m., Crews responded to the 500 block of East First Street in Hoisington for a structure fire. Barton County Fire District No. 2 Chief Jerry Stricker said the owner gave some credit to her cat.
"She was in the living room and the fire occurred on the other side of the house in the kitchen," he said. "She had a dog in there, and her cat and herself, and she was in the living room sleeping in the recliner. All she commented about was the cat had woke her up, and that's how she knew anything was going on. That's when she saw the smoke."
The owner and both pets were able to safely escape the residence. Investigation revealed the fire was caused by electrical issues within the control panel of a stove. The fire spread from the stove and ignited a wall. Minimal damage was done to the kitchen.
Firefighters were on scene for approximately 45 minutes. Fire District No. 2 and Hoisington were assisted by the Hoisington Police Department, Barton County Communications, and the Barton County Sheriff's Office.