Santa Barbara firefighters battle home blaze and rescue cat

Santa Barbara City firefighters responded to a home fire in the 300 block of W. Figueroa Street just after 8 a.m. Thursday.

The first crews to arrive saw smoke coming from a single-story duplex, and entered the home through the front door in an effort to quickly locate the fire. Firefighters mounted an aggressive attack that involved making a hole or opening on the roof for ventilation and to check for extension into the attic space.

Crews were able to quickly knock down the fire, and kept the majority of the fire damage to the room of origin.

Firefighters rescued a cat that was inside the building at the time of the fire. They treated the cat and later returned to its owners, who were not present at the time the fire broke out.

The Santa Barbara City Fire Department said the fire was discovered by a neighbor who heard the smoke detector outside the home and called 911.

The cause of the fire appears to be accidental, according to the fire department. No one was injured in this incident.

The Santa Barbara City Fire Department reminds the public to check their home smoke detectors twice a year to make sure they’re in proper working order in case of a fire.