At least one resident and a cat suffered severe smoke inhalation during a Port Hammond house fire Sunday afternoon.
Maple Ridge firefighters were dispatched to a blaze in the 20100-block of Hampton Street in Maple Ridge just after 4 p.m.
Crews arrived to find flames and smoke showing from the second floor of the home.
Initial witness reports indicating it was a mattress fire in one of the top-storey bedrooms. But fire chief Howard Exner said the actual cause of the blaze is still under investigation, with crews on scene Monday attempting to piece together all the information.
He was able to confirm that at least one person was transported by paramedics to hospital for minor burns and smoke inhalation. A witness reported another occupant, who later demonstrated breathing problems, and was also taken away in an ambulance.
One of the residents attempted to extinguish the blaze.
There was fire and smoke damage to the room of origin, as well as water and smoke damage to other parts of the house, Exner said.
While firefighters were knocking down the fire, they were also able to rescue an unresponsive cat from inside the house.
One of the occupants, along with members of the fire crew, administered oxygen to the feline, using a specialized animal mask. The cat appeared to regain consciousness.
Fire crews received this call just as they were wrapping up from another fire in Albion. Damage from that blaze, started by an inside appliance, was more limited, Exner said. The cause of that fire was also still under investigation late Monday morning.
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