Cat saved with animal oxygen mask after Paddington fire

The officers at the scene praised the equipment, saying the mask made "so much difference"

A cat saved from a house fire has become the first pet in London to use a specially adapted animal oxygen mask.

Fire crews attended a blaze in Paddington, central London, on Friday and saved two cats from the ground floor, putting a mask on one of them.

Station officer Nathan Beeby, who was at the scene, said the apparatus "ultimately saved the cat's life".

Masks will be carried by fire trucks in Battersea, Paddington, Richmond and Hammersmith as part of a pilot scheme.

If the scheme is successful, the masks will be rolled out to fire stations across the capital.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said the specialist equipment can be used on other pets, including dogs, rabbits, snakes and mice.

The masks were donated to the LFB by not-for-profit organisation Smokey Paws

Since 2019, London's firefighters have attended more than 100 fires involving pets, according to the LFB.

Before, crews had to improvise when trying to revive pets but the new equipment should improve animals' chances of survival.

The brigade's deputy assistant commissioner for operational policy, Dave O'Neill, said: "Of course a firefighter's priority is always to save any human life, but we know how precious people's pets are to them and we also know owners will put their own lives at risk by trying to return to a burning building to rescue them.

"We know there's been an increase in people getting pets during the pandemic and we are likely to see more animals involved in incidents, so we needed to improve our ability to respond appropriately.

"This new equipment will allow our crews to safely provide oxygen to any animals which need medical attention in the immediate aftermath of a fire. They will also bring a bit of hope and positivity to families in a traumatic situation."