Cat Guardians Shelter Fire Leaves 36 Cats Rescued, Two Presumed Escaped
A structure fire at a Lombard home-based shelter was contained in under 20 minutes, with no injuries reported to people or animals.
By Ethan Cooper ·
Firefighters pulled 36 cats from a burning home in Lombard on Sunday night, saving nearly the entire population of the Cat Guardians shelter.
The fire began at 8:22 p.m. at a single-family house in the 900 block of East St. Charles Road. Lombard fire crews arrived at 8:27 p.m. to find flames on the east side of the structure and smoke exiting the eaves. By 8:40 p.m., crews had the blaze under control after deploying multiple hose lines.
Shelter volunteers reported that 38 cats were in the building when the fire started. Firefighters rescued 36 of them, all of which appeared to be in good condition. Authorities believe the remaining two cats escaped the building on their own. No people were injured or killed in the incident.
The village issued a public alert on social media shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday. The post stated that the fire was under control and that at least 30 cats had been rescued at that time. It noted that fire officials believed most cats were accounted for, though the final count was not yet confirmed. The update clarified on Monday that the total number of rescued animals was 36.
Assistance came from fire departments in Villa Park, Elmhurst, Addison, and York Center. Lombard police managed traffic on East St. Charles Road while crews worked the scene. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Cat Guardians has operated for more than 35 years. The organization accepts stray and homeless cats, provides care, and offers adoption and foster placement services. The group was not immediately available for comment Monday afternoon.
