A child playing with a lighted candle caused a fire at her home that killed two cats, injured two more and forced the family from the home Wednesday.
Around 9:25 p.m., Charlotte County Fire & EMS responded to the residential structure fire on Roseway Terrace in Port Charlotte. Two adults and an 11-year-old child made it out of the house safely.
The family's five pet cats were not as fortunate. Two were found dead, one survived without injuries, one was taken to the emergency animal hospital and one was unaccounted for.
Charlotte County Fire & EMS provided oxygen to one of the cats at the scene with a mask designed for animals.