Man nearly killed after running into fiery apartment to save his cat

A man suffered life-threatening injuries Sunday after running back into his fiery Van Nuys apartment to rescue his beloved cat, officials said.

The cat survived and is being looked after by neighbors while the man receives medical treatment for smoke inhalation, LAFD spokesman Erik Scott said.

The fire broke out about 1:23 p.m. while he was cooking on a electric stove. The kitchen ventilation system caused the flames to spread into the cabinets, Scott said.

The man escaped his third-floor apartment in the 8100 block of Langdon Avenue, but then ran back in to save his cat.

The man was covered in soot when firefighters found him, Scott said.

It took about 16 minutes for more than 40 firefighters to extinguish the flames, he said.

Scott said the man’s injuries could have been prevented if he would have stayed out of his apartment and allowed firefighters to save his cat instead.

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