10/22/2026 SAINT PAUL, MN — Firefighters rescued a cat from a smoke-filled duplex Thursday afternoon after a fire broke out in the 1500 block of Jackson Street. All other occupants escaped safely. A 911 call reporting a residential structure fire came in at approximately 3:00 p.m. Crews responding to the scene could see heavy black smoke from more than a block away. When firefighters arrived, they encountered heavy smoke and fire in an up-and-down duplex. Crews quickly contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to the upper unit or attic. Firefighters searched all levels of the building. During that search, they found a cat inside the smoke-filled unit and brought the animal outside, where oxygen was administered. The cat was alert afterward and left with its owner. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.