A woman dedicated to rescuing cats lost 60 of her beloved pets when her New Jersey house erupted in flames, officials say.
At least 60 cats died in the Monday night blaze in Wayne, believed to have been sparked by a faulty light fixture, authorities say.
The cat lover, 66 year-old Janet Bakonyi, wasn't home when the blaze started, The fire grew so fierce, it eventually collapsed the floor, trapping dozens of felines. It was so treacherous that firefighters couldn't get inside, township fire inspector Scott Kooreman told The Record.
"There are still cats in there, but the floor is gone and we can’t jeopardize anyone,” Kooreman told the Record.
Bakonyi and her neighbor were able to run inside and rescue four cats.
Scores of cats were living inside the house on Piermont Terrace -- the exact number is unclear, officials said.
Investigators believe a faulty light fixture may have started the blaze, said Police Capt. James Clark. It took firefighters from three fire companies two hours to get the upper hand on the flames.
