Saskatchewan

Caught on camera: Cat rescued from top of power pole in forest fire zone

With gigantic forest fires raging all around La Ronge, Sask., it might have been easy to miss the cat that climbed to the very top of a power pole, and then couldn't find a way back down.

Nearby SaskPower employee rescues 'pole' cat

RAW: Cat rescued in La Ronge, town in wildfire zone

9 years ago
Duration 1:06
RAW: A cat was rescued in La Ronge this week. That's the northern Saskatchewan town in a wildfire zone

With gigantic forest fires raging all around La Ronge, Sask., it might have been easy to miss the cat that climbed to the top of a power pole but couldn't figure out how to come down on its own.

A sharp-eyed employee of SaskPower spotted the frightened bundle of fur perched atop the pole this week. 

He put on his spiked boots and belt and climbed to the top of the pole, gently removing the cat from its perch and placing it on his shoulder.

Then he shinnied back down, adjusting his climbing belt with one hand as he did so.

"One of our crews who are standing by in La Ronge to deal with fires just happened to come across the cat, and felt it was the right thing to do," SaskPower spokesman Tyler Hopson said.

A forest fire about 90,000 hectares in area surrounds the town, which was evacuated of most of its residents earlier this week.