Pet oxygen mask use for the first time by firefighters in London house fire

NEWS AND COMMENT: It seems strange to me that this is apparently the first time that a specially designed custom-fitting oxygen mask has been used by firefighters in the UK on a cat. Or perhaps it is the first time it's been used in London, UK. The report is unclear on that. However you look at it, it appears that the UK is well behind America. I have read many reports on American news media of custom-designed pet oxygen masks used by firefighters although I suspect they are not used across the country.

Pet oxygen mask use for the first time in London house fire by firefighters. Photo: PA.

In this instance, the oxygen masks were donated by not-for-profit organisation Smokey Paws. They can be used on cats, dogs as well as smaller animals such as snakes and mice. The masks will be carried on fire engines in Hammersmith, Richmond, Paddington and Battersea as part of a pilot scheme. If it is a success the pet oxygen masks will be rolled out to fire stations across London.

The introduction of pet oxygen masks appears to be a recognition by firefighters in the UK that pets are an important part of the family and it is inappropriate nowadays to improvise by using oxygen masks designed for humans which will clearly be less effective.

Station officer Nathan Beeby who was at the fire on Friday when the mask was used for the first time said: "Crews did a great job in challenging conditions to tackle this house fire and then were able to focus on the pets they had rescued. Having something specially designed made so much difference as the mask is properly sealed around the animal's muzzle and all the oxygen is going into their lungs. The crews all thought it was a great piece of equipment that was easy-to-use with the training they had all received, quick to get to work with and ultimately saved the cat's life. Having the specialist equipment there also put the occupier at ease and they were really happy with the outcome."

For a cat and animal lover it is great to see concern for animals in house fires. In my experience of reading news media articles about house fires and the rescue of pets from them, it is often the case that the cats don't get out but humans do. This is understandable because the first and instinctive desire of a human is to get out to safety and not to find their cat beforehand, which may jeopardise their life.

Pet oxygen masks of various sizes. Image: PA.

It makes you think though. For example, anybody can have 10 cats in a house. There are no laws against it. But perhaps there should be a law which states that anybody who is 10 cats in a house should have a sprinkler system! That might sound extraordinary or ridiculous but, in that house, there are going to be at least 11 sentient beings, 10 of which are dependent upon the remaining one, the human caregiver. If that house goes up in flames, a sprinkler system would save lives.

In the UK there are quite heavy rules governing landlords who rent out houses of multiple occupation i.e. in-house conversion in which there might be 10 families. There will be all kinds of considerations to help protect the lives of the occupiers in an emergency. Firstly, I don't see much difference between that and a home with 10 cats in it.

Ginger cat desperately escapes second-floor inferno started by ex-boyfriend

It is alleged that the former boyfriend of the tenant of this apartment set it alight while intoxicated. The apartment became an inferno and I will presume that the tenant's ginger cat had to escape under desperate circumstances. You will see in the video the cat being forced to make a decision that they did not want to make which was to jump from the second floor. The cat waited as long as possible and was singed. You will see his or her back smoking and black. It is unpleasant. The cat jumps into a crowd below and his fall was broken, I believe, by one of their number. The cat appears to have avoided serious harm but probably suffered from smoke inhalation and the heat may have damaged his heart. It is known that firefighters can suffer from heart disease prematurely because they are constantly working in very high temperatures. Also of course the smoke inhalation may leave this cat with some permanent damage. As far as we know there are no other injuries such as breakages.

Ginger tabby jumped from burning apartment. Photo: NYCACC.

The man who started the fire is allegedly Willie Manning, aged 61. He has been charged with burglary, arson, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and criminal contempt. Apparently and allegedly he has had 30 arrests before according to the New York Post. He is being treated in hospital and was found unconscious either inside or outside the flat, the report is unclear.

The police were able to enter the apartment so I suspect that they saw him there and brought him out. The video that you see on this page was captured apparently by Aaron Ganaway. Seven people including two police officers were injured apparently by the blaze. It happened in Harlem, New York. We will see the cat clambering down the side of the building to get as low as possible to the ground before leaping. Three officers below clapped their hands and encouraged the cat to jump. The cat was taken to the Animal Care Centres of New York City where it was reported that he was in pretty good shape according to NBC.

Screenshot.

Comment: The moral of the story: it appears to be a domestic dispute in which the companion animal of the victim suffered. Companion animals are often victims as well as one of the partners in domestic disputes for the obvious reason that the man in a male-female partnership uses the cat companion of the female as leverage in an emotional war. It is very effective and it stops women leaving the family home because she is unable to find a place for her companion animal at a refuge. This is changing as refugees for victims of domestic violence are opening their doors to companion animals as well although, as I understand it, many still don't.

Uncomfortably, for me, in many house fires, the cats not infrequently die in the fire while their owner escapes. I've noticed this. The obvious reason is that in a fire people panic and understandably so. But I wish they were able to have the presence of mind to quickly find their cat and bring them with them to the outside. No doubt cats hide when a fire starts and become almost invisible but I still believe more could be done to save cats in house fires. Some of the best photographs are of firefighters rescuing domestic cats from a burning house and then giving them oxygen in a specially manufactured animal device.