All 42 cats from a fire-damaged animal shelter in Lombard, Illinois, now have temporary housing arranged, in a happy update to a blaze that threatened the lives of dozens of animals.
Fire crews saved at least 30 cats from a major fire at the Cat Guardians shelter on East St. Charles Road on Sunday night, November 1. The shelter has cared for stray and homeless cats for more than 35 years.
From rescue to recovery
Emergency crews were already responding when the village of Lombard posted a social media alert just before 10 p.m. on Sunday. The village said the fire was brought under control, and fire officials believed most of the cats had been accounted for, although the total number was not yet confirmed at the time.
Cat Guardians said in a November 2 recovery statement that volunteers received all 42 cats from fire personnel, and that no cats died in the blaze. Shaw Local reported on November 3 that temporary housing had been secured, identifying Feral Fixers as a housing partner, with Lombard Veterinary Hospital and DuPage County Animal Services caring for the cats.
What is still unknown
Some follow-up reporting gave a different rescue count, with CBS Chicago and the Daily Herald reporting 36 cats rescued, against the shelter’s own figure of 42. Individual injuries, diagnoses and treatment outcomes have not been detailed.
The building is uninhabitable and the cause of the fire remains undetermined, Cat Guardians said. There is no confirmed dollar damage estimate and no reopening date yet — but every cat is safe, and that is the news that matters.
Cat Guardians has cared for stray and homeless cats in Lombard for more than 35 years, offering adoptions, foster care and permanent placement for cats that need it. The fire has left the building uninhabitable, and the shelter’s recovery is far from finished: the cause is undetermined, there is no damage estimate and no reopening date. What the shelter needs now is what every small rescue needs after a disaster — foster homes, donations and adopters willing to give a senior or shy cat a chance.
