Cathedral City firefighters save family pet after home catches fire

Larry Deason was with his family and their friends watching TV when a fire suddenly broke out in the yard between his home and the neighbor’s.

“We felt the heat coming through the glass,” Deason said. “It looked like it started in the lady next door’s ficus.”

“I looked out the window and it was bright red and I was like oh no,” said Deason’s 9 year old son, Laurence. “We just started to run outside and yell ‘Fire!”

All nine people, including six kids, who were inside made it out safely, and watched from across the street as smoke billowed up.

The fire quickly spread to the attic, fanned by hot winds, and eventually shot through the roof before fire crews were able to get a hold of it.

In addition to the flames, firefighters from multiple agencies battled scorching temperatures, hovering around 115 degrees.

“Those guys have to be cooking. They went through their first chest of ice water quick,” Deason said.

“This time of year especially with the heat warnings, it’s very brutal out here,” said Cathedral City Fire Chief Robert Van Notrick. ” The firefighters, they go in and do as much work as they can initially to get the fire knocked down and come outside to hydrate and rehab a little.”

Firefighters said most of the home is still in-tact and the damage largely contained to the attic.

Deason’s wife and their four kids were forced out of their home, but say they’re grateful everyone left unharmed.

“It’s fine, it’s stuff. Stuff happens and you replace it,” Deason said.

And their kids are especially grateful firefighters were able to save a special family member that stayed behind, their pet ferret.

“That was Herman,” Deason said.

“Me and Jessie were just like, wow, thanks for saving our house to the fire men,” Laurence said.