New Orleans firefighters battled a two-alarm fire Thursday morning where two people were rescued and 12 cats died.
It happened at 8:21 a.m. at a two-story home in the 1800 block of Esplanade Avenue.
When fire crews arrived, they found the wood-framed building with thick smoke and flames coming from the second floor.
The homeowner and another man were found trapped and had to be rescued from the second-floor balcony in the rear of the home. The homeowner told firefighters there were 12 cats also trapped in the burning home.
Rescuers searched and retrieved the 12 cats from the fire. Firefighters tried to resuscitate the cats with oxygen, however, all 12 cats could not be revived.
