Investigators expect to discover several more dead cats in a small, old house that was badly damaged by fire on Tuesday evening.
One cat was rescued and the bodies of two others were discovered by firefighters.
The house, and a mobile home next to it, were full of garbage, said Township fire department spokesman Bruce Ferguson.
Neither of the homes was lived in, he said, adding that there was debris on other parts of the rural property.
An electric heater, possibly being used to keep cats warm or prevent water lines from freezing, is the focus of fire investigators’ probe into the fire, which broke out at around 7:30 p.m. at 1496 240 St.
“It doesn’t appear to be mischief related,” Ferguson said.
There is no evidence of a grow-op.
The bungalow, built in the 1940s or 1950s, likely can’t be saved, Ferguson said. The owners do not live on the property.
“It baffles me that people can do this to a piece of property,” Ferguson said, adding that firefighters came across several dead and living animals.
Sean Baker, general manager of the Langley Animal Protection Society, said that one cat was taken to an emergency animal hospital suffering from apparent smoke inhalation. The cat is expected to survive.