A distraught homeowner pleaded with firefighters to save his cat as his house caught on fire Thursday night in Tarzana.
Video from the scene showed firefighters with the Los Angeles Fire Department rushing in and around the home on Topham Street just off Lyndley Avenue, trying to extinguish the flames.
Isaac Vaizman, the homeowner, begged them to go inside and rescue his cat from the room. Finally, a firefighter was seen walking towards the man while holding his cat.
"I tried to run in the they stopped me," Vaizman said.
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The man took his beloved pet in his arms and fell to his knees in tears. The 14-year-old cat named Cheetah was taken to the vet to be evaluated.
"Like losing your kid. Same thing. She’s my kid,” Vaizman said.
Vaizman said Cheetah is his tie to his children. The cat belongs to his daughter and he promised he’d keep Cheetah safe for her.
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“After my divorce, my daughter asked me to keep her and I promised to do it. So I still have my cat but not my kids. The cat is alive and that’s what’s most important,” Vaizman said.
He said Cheetah is back home after seeing the vet and is doing okay and resting right now.
A team of about 38 LAFD firefighters put out the fire in 19 minutes.
The fire had engulfed a room and the attic of the 900 square foot home, according to LAFD.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
