Two Swartz Creek Area Fire Department firefighters, Sedrick Fornari and Sawyer Tabit, became local celebrities after a photo of them performing CPR on two cats rescued from a house fire circulated on social media.
Despite life-saving efforts by firefighters and emergency medical crews, 15 felines perished after the fire erupted inside a Gaines Township home.
Two cats found in the basement survived the blaze in the 8000 block of Seymour Road. A passerby reported smoke coming from the ranch-style house around 2:45 p.m. Feb. 7.
Gaines Township Fire Chief Joe Hyrman said the fire started when an extension cord, damaged by a rocker recliner sofa, shorted on a power strip.