MANSFIELD — No one was injured, but Mansfield firefighters rescued a cat from a duplex fire Wednesday afternoon at 81-83 W. First St., directly across from St. Peter’s High School.
The fire, which was reported at 2:08 p.m., briefly snarled school bus and auto traffic at the end of the school day.
Asst. Chief Mark Sieving said multiple calls reporting the fire, which was on the front porch of the duplex, had trapped people inside.
By the time firefighters had arrived, one person on the east side of the duplex had escaped through a back door and two on the west side had gotten out through a window, assisted by neighbors.
“We went four engines and three rescue trucks,” Sieving said. “We don’t normally send that many, but when we were hear of people entrapped, we send more.”
Firefighters found the front porch fully involved. As firefighters knocked down the blaze, others searched through the duplex to make sure no one was left inside.
There were no people left inside, but firefighter Tom Sneeringer emerged with the cat, which survived with no apparent injuries.
Sieving said the fire damage was limited to the porch and front exterior, but said there was smoke damage throughout both sides of the duplex.
The assistant chief said the occupants didn’t know what started the fire on the porch. He said if remains under investigation.
