“It’s confirmed four have escaped on the night. Very pleased to say we have two of them. Caught one yesterday, caught another one today. We’ve now confirmed all numbers, so two aren’t unaccounted for.
All owners but one have been contacted about their cats, Cooper said.
Fire and Emergency said there was another fire at the same building three years ago that was classified as an accident.
Nick Cooper outside CareVets cattery in Kilbirnie after the fire. Photo / Rachel Helyer-Donaldson, RNZ
Cooper said CareVets shared the building with residential flats, where the previous fire was caused by a discarded cigarette that caught on vegetation debris.
“A tenant upstairs had been smoking on their deck and had some foliage underneath their deck, and they’d just thrown their cigarette butts into that area. And the fire investigators, that was a tenant that had dropped a lit cigarette in some foliage that caused it,” Cooper said.
He said the building had been there for about 31 years.
He also praised his team for how they had handled both the blaze and the aftermath.
“My team has been amazing, to see midnight on a cold Saturday Wellington night, have them there with me and wanting to stay.
“My two teams Johnsonville and Kilbirnie, I’ve spent time with them this morning and they’ve just contacted people, providing a service and supporting each other,” Cooper said.
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