Cat dies in Crowland Avenue house fire; one person taken to hospital for smoke inhalation

A woman was transported to hospital for smoke inhalation, and a cat died in a stubborn fire Monday morning on Crowland Avenue in Welland, says the city’s acting fire chief.

Matt Richardson said the woman, who lived in one of two units at 114 Crowland Ave. , was taken for observation by Niagara Emergency Medical Services paramedics but her condition was unknown.

Welland Fire and Emergency Services firefighters were called just after 9 a.m. to a two-storey home on the east side of the street, between Cady and Welland streets. They reported seeing smoke from a distance. Station 1 is just more than half a kilometre away to the northwest.

“On their arrival they identified heavy smoke and fire from some second-floor windows. They started an offensive fire attack inside the structure and e