Woman and cat rescued from Newport Beach apartment fire

Newport Beach firefighters performed a double rescue when they got a cat out of a smoke-filled apartment after pulling a woman from her balcony.

The Fire Department responded to the Park Newport Apartments at about 11:55 p.m. Tuesday and found a woman standing on her fourth-floor balcony after a fire broke out in her apartment, said department spokesman Justin Carr.

About 15 neighboring residents were evacuated from fourth-floor units, the Fire Department said.

Because of heavy smoke in her apartment, the woman was rescued via a ladder extended to her balcony.

She told firefighters that her cat was still in the apartment, prompting a rescue of the pet, which was found alive and was taken to the city’s animal services facility, the Fire Department said.

The woman was treated for smoke inhalation and was taken to a trauma center, the department said.

The fire, which was contained to the kitchen of the one-bedroom apartment, was believed to have been caused by a cooking incident involving a microwave, Carr said. It is still under investigation.

The blaze was knocked down within 15 minutes, though firefighters stayed on the scene for about two hours, the Fire Department said.

The other residents were allowed back into their homes.