Her cries for their pets joined his – but then, 10 minutes later, she emerged swaddling a cat.
It was out the back and, as if by a miracle, had survived. The family’s pet carriers were destroyed in the fire, so they waited outside for someone to bring one so they could get the cat checked over by a vet.
A home on Duffield Street in Margate went up in flames on New Year’s Eve.Credit: Dominique Tassell
Family friend Marissa said the cat probably ran off during the fire and returned after it was extinguished.
Marissa was with the mother when she got the call the house was on fire, and immediately drove to the Margate home.
“We were all just huddled on the [traffic] island and at the stroke of midnight we were just watching the house burn down.”
The family knew the fire started underneath the house, but didn’t know what exactly started it.
The house was a crime scene on Thursday morning as fire investigators went through, but that declaration was lifted about midday.
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