When an apartment fire tore through a Utah complex, one family feared they had lost their cat, Toast Malone, for good.
More than three days after the fire started, Toast was found in the wreckage and was reunited with his owners.
Here's what to know
More than 40 families were displaced after a likely mechanical issue sparked a fire at the North Union Apartments in Midvale, near Salt Lake City, on the morning of August 3. Crews spent over 60 hours extinguishing the blaze.
In a social media update, Utah's Unified Fire Authority said Toast was found "hidden inside a closet—one of the only spaces left standing in the apartment after the roof collapsed—the resilient cat survived days of smoke, hundreds of thousands of gallons of water being sprayed overhead, and the destruction all around," as My Modern Met reported.
Once he was found, Toast got a brief examination and was back with his family about an hour later. The Fire Authority added that, "aside from being wet, cold, and a little scared, [Toast Malone] was otherwise healthy."
Ryder Mathis, one of Toast's owners, wrote on Instagram, per My Modern Met, "Today has been so amazing after such a hard weekend. Thank you so much for getting my boy back! Toast Malone thanks you."
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Responders kept searching for Toast even after the most urgent phase of the fire had ended.
In the comments section of the Fire Authority's post, Salt Lake County Animal Services acknowledged this, writing, "We are incredibly proud of our Animal Services Officers. For the past four days, they've worked side by side with your firefighters, never giving up on the animals still waiting to be found. Their dedication, compassion, and determination helped make reunions like Toast's possible."
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