Cat Dies In New Castle Apartment Fire

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NEW CASTLE (KDKA) -- A cat died in an apartment fire in New Castle late Friday night.

It happened around 10 p.m. at the Vista South Apartments on South Mercer Street near East Reynolds Street.

According to fire officials, a woman in a third-floor apartment left grease on the stove. The grease caught fire and the flames spread throughout the apartment.

Neighbor Shiela Pitts heard the woman scream and ran to open the door to the apartment. Pitts' cat then ran into the burning apartment.

"All I did was try to grab my cat and come down the stairs," said Pitts. "He was so scared he got up and run. Then he ran into (the victim's) apartment and I tried to get her out, but I couldn't get anybody."

Firefighters were able to pull Pitts' cat out of the burning apartment and give it oxygen, but a cat that lived in the burning apartment died.

Six people were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene.