Cat dies in Binbrook home destroyed by fire
Owner devastated by loss, but father grateful for support and donations from townsfolk
Marc Vogl is still shaken after a fire destroyed his home in Binbrook.
And he’s upset that his cat, Michael, who saved his life by waking him up, died in that fire.
“I am not good at all,” he said when reached Thursday afternoon, 16 hours after firefighters responded to an inferno at his home Wednesday night after 10 p.m. at 3508 Regional Rd. 56, south of the core of Binbrook.
“I’m very upset. I’m (still) covered in soot . ... I’m very exhausted.”
Vogl had just returned from looking for Michael in the debris in the aftermath of the fire. He was able to find his remains and buried him.
Michael, a blind cat Vogl and his wife had rescued, woke Vogl up by pawing at him when the fire broke out, he says.
Vogl tried to grab Michael once he realized what was happening, but the cat had jumped down and Vogl couldn’t see him in the heavy smoke.
Vogl said he had been watching a YouTube video in the dining room when he fell asleep at the table, before Michael woke him up.
“The whole deck (outside) was on fire . ... Within 30 to 45 seconds, if anyone was in the house, they would have been dead.”
Another cat, and two dogs — all rescue animals — made it out alive with Vogl and his wife.
Vogl’s dad, Wayne Vogl, called the whole situation “quite an ordeal” but was so thankful for all the help Binbrook residents and businesses were offering.
“We got him a house (to rent), furniture, clothing ... even Ren’s Pet Depot has donated cat and dog food,” Wayne said.
“I feel so warm and fuzzy about the people of Binbrook.”
Wayne, a realtor, said the realization that his son, Marc, and daughterin-law, Shelley King, could have been hurt, has hit him hard.
“I couldn’t talk to the cohorts here in the office without crying.”
Hamilton Fire Department deputy chief Randy Moss said the house, a rental, and its contents were significantly damaged. The estimated damage is $450,000, he said.
“The area of origin was a portion of the deck that was used for smoking,” he said.
“The fire cause is suspected to be related to the improper disposal of smokers’ materials.”
It took firefighters more than an hour to knock down the bulk of the fire, with crews remaining at the scene overnight to watch for flareups.
The fire department posted photos of the scene on Twitter showing the house had been gutted by the fire.