A fire in a planter caused minor damage Sunday to the exterior of a cat rescue in downtown New Kensington.
The fire at Frankie’s Friends in the 700 block of Fifth Avenue was reported about 5:20 p.m., a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said.
According to fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr., the fire originated in a small planter outside the front entrance to the building. It was caused either by a discarded cigarette or spontaneous combustion, he said.
No one was inside the building at the time the fire broke out, Saliba said.
Toriano “Tido” Wilson, owner of Tido’s Corner on the same block, put out the fire with an extinguisher before authorities arrived, said Dr. Becky Morrow, founder, president and medical director of Frankie’s Friends, a veterinary clinic that provides cats and other animals relief from cruelty and neglect.
The planter was “disintegrated” by the fire, Saliba said.
The fire did not extend into the interior of the building, which Saliba said firefighters opened up to be sure it had not ignited the wood framing or insulation.
No injuries were reported, and none of the cats inside was harmed, according to Saliba and Morrow.
“We were very fortunate,” Saliba said.