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Quick-Thinking Neighbors Rescue Cat, Prevent Oakland Home From Burning Down

OAKLAND (KPIX 5) -- Two quick-thinking neighbors in Oakland jumped into action Monday night when they saw a house on fire, saving a cat inside the home and ultimately preventing it from burning down.

The fire happened at around 10 p.m. at Randolph Ave. near Park Blvd.

Dave Winters and Patricia Commer heard the beeping of a smoke detector and went outside to investigate. The couple went to their neighbors' house and saw a flickering light through the front door.

"When I was walking around the corner I could just see flames down by the glass," Commer said.

Winters said he had Oakland Fire emergency already on his direct dial and called them immediately. Then, he immediately ran for the water hose.

"I need the hose, and I grabbed it and hooked it over here," explained Winters.

Since their neighbors weren't home at the time of the fire, the only for Winters and Commer to get inside the house was to bust in through the glass. Commer said she grabbed a plant in a pot on the porch and gave it to Winters for him to break through the front door so they wouldn't hurt their hands.

When firefighters arrived, they grabbed a burning ottoman and brought it outside. Winters called the homeowners and said, "I'm calling you because your house is on fire." But after calling them, he realized their neighbors' cat was still inside the burning home.

Fortunately, the cat was rescued thanks to the realization. Coincidentally, the couple had just been through an emergency training course--their skills were put to the test on Monday evening.

The couple said had it not been for their neighbor's working smoke detector, there's no telling what might've happened.

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