"I saw the fire trucks right outside my house. I went outside and that's when I saw the smoke," said the 65-year-old woman. "I thought, 'Oh, my God. That's my house.'"

Just after 11 p.m. Wednesday night, firefighters were called to 6090 Carlton St. for a house fire.

Luckily for Talaber, it wasn't the house she was living in, but the smaller house she rents to tenants on her property just behind her address.

When firefighters arrived, the flames were coming from the basement and the female tenants of the house were outside suffering from smoke inhalation, said platoon chief Harry Waters.

"Apparently (one of the tenants) went back in to get a cat," he said, adding he heard she rescued it and got out. "We never encourage people to go back inside a burning house. No belongings or animals are worth your life."

Deputy fire chief Jim Jessop said on Thursday the cause of the fire was improper disposal of a cigarette.

"There was a lot of material around the area where the fire started. It could have been bedding or clothing," Jessop said.

Damage to the house is estimated at around $100,000.

Jessop said the situation had the potential to be a lot worse had the fire department not installed working smoke alarms just a couple months prior.

"Charges had been sworn for not installing them and the Niagara Falls Fire Department will never leave a house without working smoke alarms," said Jessop. "We were very fortunate we did that. It more than likely saved their lives."

The tenant who was reported to go back into the house was treated for severe smoke inhalation at Greater Niagara General Hospital and was later released. The other female tenant was also treated for minor smoke inhalation.

matt.day@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @Matt_Review