Ladywood family saved after pet cat alerts them to house fire

Jan 18 2010 by Sophie Cross, Birmingham Mail

BLACK cats may be unlucky for some, but a Birmingham family say they owe their lives to their pet.

Michael Lineham and his family, from Ladywood, were woken to the sounds of the cat, Sooty, wildly scratching and leaping against a bedroom door.

They were unaware that a few yards above their heads a fire had broken out in the loft, which was already filled with thick black smoke.

Michael, aged 53, was woken at his council property in Daley Close just before 3am by his sister, 51-year-old Christine who heard the cat’s actions.

He said: “I’m a deep sleeper so only woke up when my sister came in saying there was something wrong with the cat.

“I stepped onto the landing and when I looked up at the ceiling there was a brown mark and I could hear this crackling noise.

“I opened the loft door and saw the smoke. My sister was shouting “We’re on fire!”

“I thought it was the boiler at first so I told everybody to get outside in case it exploded.

“As we went out there were already some passers-by telling us they could see smoke coming out the roof.”

Six-month-old Sooty is the pet of Christine’s son, ten-year-old James Breslin.

Michael said: “Originally we got her to deal with a mouse problem. She’s not even allowed to go outside yet.

“I’m not a cat-lover, but considering I could have been getting buried this week, she will be a very spoilt cat when we move into a new place!

“She’s definitely a lucky cat for us. I’m going to ask her for the lottery numbers.”

Fire crews told the family the blaze, in the early hours of Monday, January 11, had been caused by faulty wiring. They have since condemned the house.

A spokeswoman for Birmingham City Council said: “We comply with building regulations on our properties, which include an electrical check once every ten years.

“The seat of the fire was in the loft of this property, however the cause of the fire has not yet been identified and we are currently awaiting the fire officer’s report. We sympathise with the household at this difficult time and we are relieved that they are unharmed. The tenants have accepted an alternative property and the local housing team has arranged for a free removal and credit to be added to their electricity meter.”