Emergency crews were called early Saturday morning to an incident at an apartment complex in northwest London that wound up sending one person to hospital.
Around 2:30 a.m., firefighters attended a first floor unit at 345 Wharncliffe Rd. N to put out a small fire.
Platoon Chief Kirk Loveland said an occupant of the apartment had been using a space heater to dry clothing and the garments caught ablaze.
The person attempted to put the fire out themselves, according to Loveland. He said the individual went out into the hallway and grabbed hold of a standpipe fire hose - equipment intended for use by firefighters.
Loveland explained that a pet cat was inside the apartment at the time the fire broke out, which is what led the occupant to take matters into their own hands.
With no protective gear at their disposal, the person sustained injuries while trying to extinguish the blaze and ended up being taken to hospital.
No information was immediately available on the victim's condition, nor the cat's.
"The safety message here is you don't want to use space heaters to try and dry your clothes," Loveland advised. "Secondly, never use fire equipment in a building to try and put out a fire on your own. Without protective equipment, the fire will overtake you quickly."
Instead, contact 911 and emergency crews will arrive quickly and handle the situation as safely as possible, Loveland said.
Ultimately, the fire at 345 Wharncliffe Road North was contained to the first floor unit and only left a few thousand dollars worth of damage.
The platoon chief went on to share some insight for pet owners who may find themselves in a similar situation. He said that because pets are usually down low, close to the ground, they tend to be in a pretty safe spot when a fire breaks out. The best way to keep you and your pet from harm is to contact the fire department for help.