A mechanical issue started a fire in a Utah apartment building last week that sent the entire five-story structure ablaze in a matter of minutes.
Residents in the Salt Lake City suburb—and their pets—were evacuated from the building in the immediate aftermath—but Toast the cat was nowhere to be found.
The black and gray cat named Toast Malone had scurried behind a washing machine amid the mounting flames and his owners had to flee the apartment without him.
The blaze reportedly raged-on for 60 hours before firefighters fully extinguished it.
The cat’s nine lives had likely run out, too.
The Salt Lake County Animal Services put out a social media post to help search for Toast.
More time passed, and before long, hope became “harder to hold on to.”
But then, more than 72 hours after the fire began, rescuers found something in a closet.
The structure was one of the few spaces that survived the blaze. Smoke would have engulfed it. More than a hundred thousand gallons of water were sprayed around it.
And yet, Toast was alive inside.
“Toast the cat was safely reunited with a very grateful owner, and aside from being wet, cold and a little scared, was otherwise healthy,” wrote the fire department on Facebook (@United Fire Authority).
Toast’s story was certainly the most dramatic rescue from the apartment fire, but emergency personnel played a major role in making sure many other pets of the approximately 200 residents remained safe and secure throughout the ordeal.
“Toast’s story is also an opportunity to recognize the incredible work of our Animal Services Officers,” Salt Lake County Animal Services wrote on Instagram.
“For the past four days, they have worked side by side with firefighters, helping rescue animals, reunite families, provide temporary care for displaced pets, and stand ready whenever it was safe to enter.”
The Instagram post, which also features a video of Toast’s reunion, has received more than 30,000 likes, with many commenters calling it a modern miracle.
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Only Toast knows how he survived as the fire raged around him, but his rescue is a powerful reminder to never give up.
“I never lost hope that my baby was still alive,” Toast’s owner Madison Stott wrote on Instagram. “Thank you so much for bringing him back to us!”
GIVE TOAST A NINTH LIFE By Sharing This To Your Social Media…