Pets may be finding their way back to an apartment destroyed by fire.
Officials received a report on the weekend, and then another one Monday, that cats were seen inside the Skyline Manor on 31A Street. Fire roared through the building Feb. 25.
“Usually they are scared away from the building by the fire and then return,” said Brent Watson, emergency program co-ordinator.
Firefighters and emergency pet service personnel have been on site and they can’t verify if the animals are actually pets or are strays.
“A building like that becomes a magnet for strays,” said Watson.
Food has been set out as well as cat traps in the hopes that pets can be reunited with their owners.
On Monday, firefighters got on ladders and tried to create access points for the cats by smashing windows and opening doors with 12-foot poles.
Physically searching the building is out of the question because the structure is in poor condition.
“We absolutely can’t go in there,” said Watson.
“We don’t want to leave animals in there but we have done everything within the realm of safety.”