A house fire that broke out early Monday morning on First Avenue in St. Thomas, claimed the life of a cat and prompted a temporary road closure as emergency crews worked to contain the blaze. Firefighters were called to the home at about 6 a.m. after one of the tenants dialed 911 to report the fire. A second tenant, who was not home when the fire started, later returned to assist. When crews arrived, smoke was visible from the rear of the house. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the basement, preventing it from spreading to the rest of the residence. As crews battled the blaze, First Avenue was closed between Chestnut and Locust streets for safety reasons. A cat inside the home died as a result of the fire. No injuries to residents or firefighters were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Fire investigators and police remained on scene Monday as they worked to determine how the blaze started. No damage estimate was immediately available. With files from CTV News London’s Sean Irvine
