Man Rescues Woman, Cats From Fire

A 29-year-old man rescued a Winnetka woman Tuesday after she ran back into her burning apartment to save her cats, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

He also saved the cats.

Michael Robbins, 29, of Canoga Park said he was driving with his girlfriend about 3:30 p.m. when he saw smoke coming from the apartment complex in the 20300 block of Leadwell Avenue near Winnetka Avenue.

“I stopped to see if I could help out,” he said. “I could hear screams. I ran up to the apartment door and looked inside and I could barely see her. There was thick black smoke everywhere.”

Putting his shirt over his mouth to avoid inhaling smoke, Robbins crawled to the victim’s bedroom and found her collapsed in the doorway.

Robbins pushed, pulled and carried her out the door.

“She was screaming about her kittens, but I thought she said ‘kids,’ ” he said.

So Robbins re-entered the apartment but only managed to travel a few feet because of the smoke. However, on his way out he shooed two cats out the door.

“I’m no hero,” Robbins said. “I just don’t want to see anyone get hurt.”

The woman, whose name was not made public, was treated for first-degree burns to her face and for smoke inhalation at Northridge Hospital Medical Center and released, the Fire Department said.

The fire caused about $52,000 of damage to the apartment and six adjacent units, and about $20,000 damage to their contents, Fire Department spokesman Bob Collis said.