The crew at the downtown Berthoud fire station was washing one of the trucks when firefighter Jourdan Mazur heard a cat meowing across the street about three weeks ago.
He found a tiny black kitten, weighing just over 1 pound, clinging to the branches about 15 feet up.
He and firefighter Christopher Robinson used a ladder to rescue the small black ball of fluff and delivered her to May Soricelli, the department’s education specialist and spokesperson.
“He walks in the doorway with this tiny thing in his hands,” Soricelli said. “It made my day.”
Serendipitously enough, her 4-year-old daughter, Georgiana, had just recently finished her Christmas list including her wish for “a fire cat.” May’s response was: “There’s no way you asked for a fire cat because what is that?”
Turns out it is a small black kitten in need of a home, delivered not by Santa but by Berthoud firefighter Mazur, three months before Christmas.
Soricelli took the tiny kitten to the veterinarian. She was malnourished and suffering from some bacteria and, as the vet said, “definitely a stray.” They treated her with medication and offered her food and water, which the little cat immediately devoured.
With medical attention and a new name — Ember — the kitten is thriving and now part of not only the Soricelli family, including Georginana, 12-year-old Darcy and 9-year-old Bennett, but also the Berthoud Fire Department.
“She’s full of life,” said Soricelli. “She wants to climb up everything, every nook and cranny. She’s just so full of life.”
Soricelli introduced the kitten to the community on Facebook and let residents help name the little girl, and now she plans to incorporate “Ember the fire cat” into the department’s public education with safety messages that will resonate with children, and perhaps adults too.
“I see the opportunity to use her little face, with how much the public loves animals, to promote fire safety,” Soricelli said, envisioning a coloring book with safety messages from Ember the fire cat.
“It’s also a message to the community of the heart of the fire department,” Soricelli said. “This is a small rescue, but it exemplifies that heart. This is a cat that is going to life a long life now because they took that extra step.”
How can I help?
The Soricelli family has set up an online fundraising account to help cover medical expenses for Ember, including the costs of vaccinations and her spay surgery. To help achieve the $555 goal, visit gofundme.com/f/ember-the-fire-cat
