In a moment that feels straight out of a miracle, a Tucson family has been reunited with their beloved cat Misty after she vanished during a terrifying house explosion earlier this week.
The explosion happened just before 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, when flames tore through the family’s East Paseo San Bernardo home. Fire crews arrived within minutes to find the house almost completely engulfed, with two nearby homes also suffering damage. Thankfully, all six family members made it out safely—but Misty was nowhere to be found.
As firefighters battled the blaze and sifted through the wreckage, hope of finding the family’s feline companion alive began to fade. But the next day, a faint meow from beneath a bed stopped everyone in their tracks.
Miraculously, Misty had survived the explosion and fire. She’d been hiding under a bed buried in rubble, waiting to be rescued. Family members quickly pulled her out, shaken but alive.
“Guess it’s true what they say about cats!” the Tucson Fire Department shared on Facebook. “We are so happy to hear Misty was found alive in the rubble of her home today — a day after it was destroyed in an explosion.”
Photos from the scene show debris scattered across the property and firefighters working through the destruction. Amid the heartbreak of losing their home and cherished belongings, the safe return of Misty has been a powerful moment of joy.
A GoFundMe has been launched to help the displaced family cover temporary housing and living essentials. “They have lost all of their belongings, clothes, personal keepsakes, and their home that they’ve worked so hard for,” the fundraiser states. “This has been an incredibly traumatic and overwhelming time for them.”
As of now, over $13,000 has been raised toward the $30,000 goal.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but one thing’s for sure: Misty’s survival has been a bright spot in a very dark week. Nine lives, indeed.