Unique cat bites firefighter battling blaze inside dwelling, Washington officers say – KIRO 7 Information Seattle

VANCOUVER, Washington. – A firefighter was bitten by an exotic African cat while fighting a fire in a Washington home.

At around 2:40 p.m. on Sunday, crews from the Clark County Fire District 6 and Vancouver Fire Department responded to a house fire call from a neighbor who reported seeing flames coming from the back of the house, Dave Schmitke, a fire department spokesman. said McClatchy News.

While the fire department was working to put out the flames that had spread in the attic, some firefighters were sweeping the house looking for pets or people who could be evacuated, Schmitke said.

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A firefighter came across a large cat that bit its thick work gloves and injured its finger. The crews then asked for animal controls and brought the cat into the house because they “didn’t know what we were seeing,” said Schmitke.

The owner of the cat told officials the cat was a serval, a medium-sized African cat found in the savannahs “with yellow-brown, black-spotted coats,” according to the African Wildlife Association. They usually weigh up to 40 pounds, but officials estimated the one found in the house was around 60 to 70 pounds.

The exotic cats can cost up to $ 2,000 to buy, the county administrative director Mitch Nickolds told McClatchy.

Servals are not on Washington’s list of prohibited “Potentially Dangerous Wildlife” under state law. They are sometimes bred with domestic cats, creating “Savannah cats,” reported the Colombian.

After the animal control had removed the cat, Schmitke said the crews re-entered the house to clear any remaining hot spots. The firefighter was treated for a finger bite at a local hospital and is expected to go back to work on Tuesday, Schmitke said.

According to Schmitke, the cat was not injured.

The serval has been secured by Clark County Animal Protection and Control and returned to the owner, who has taken precautions to ensure it can’t bite anyone out, Nickoids said.

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