Shropshire Star

Family cat blamed for setting Telford home on fire

Bubba the cat set a family kitchen on fire – then calmly sat on a fence across the street to watch the drama unfold.

Published
Bubba the fire-starting cat with his owner Jacky McCusker after she and her son were rescued

The 12-year-old moggy is in the doghouse today after causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

It is believed Bubba suffered an epileptic fit while sleeping near a stove and somehow managed to turn on an electric hob. The hob set fire to a wooden board and the resulting blaze spread throughout the kitchen.

Today his owner described how she and her son feared for their lives as they waited to be rescued from their Shropshire home after smoke poured into their bedrooms.

The scene of the fire in Donnington

Jacky McCusker, 52, said: "When we were huddled by the window waiting for the fire crew to rescue us, I spotted Bubba sitting across the road on the fence.

"You cannot print what I said at that moment."

Three fire engines from Telford, Tweedale and Wellington were called to the blaze at the home in Donnington, Telford, at 6am yesterday and took just eight minutes to rescue the family from the first floor bedroom.

Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star

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