Cannock cattery fire precautions after disaster
The owner of a cattery planning to rebuild after it was wrecked by fire, killing 20 pets, has talked to fire chiefs about how to prevent similar disasters in the future.
Lynn Durnall, plans more than 30 new pens at Pinetrees Cattery, Stafford Road, Huntington, Cannock. She has smoke alarms and is to take other precautions.
Pauline Bloomfield, of Cheslyn Hay, who lost three cats in the January fire, but recently adopted another, today welcomed plans for the cattery, which closed after the fire.
Mrs Durnall, who lives next door, reopened with about 10 pens not destroyed. The 50-year-old, who has run the cattery for nearly 13 years, said: "We have installed smoke alarms in the pens now being used.
"There's going to be a divider so if it happens again it will not spread so quickly. We are still in discussions with the fire authority. We are still talking about what we are going to do."
Plans sent to South Staffordshire District Council, show 46 pens with new ones in the same place as the old, self-contained heated sleeping quarters, exercise areas and safety porches.
Mrs Bloomfield, a mother-of-one, 59, who cut short a holiday after hearing of the fire, said: "I'm glad smoke detectors have been installed and I think having the divider is a brilliant idea.
"I'm for any measures which could prevent this from happening again, whether it is a sprinkler system or anything else.
"I feel the cattery will be the safest in the country when she's done with it. I think all catteries should have those features. I feel Lynn is a very courageous woman."
The fire killed all but two cats. Mrs Durnall's surviving cat of three, Ollie, was badly burned. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue blamed an electrical fault. All safety procedures were in place.
