The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah), September 5, 1905

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In 1905, a remarkable story of courage unfolded in Chicago, Illinois. On the corner of 39th Street and Prairie Avenue, a massive fire broke out following an explosion in a local paint store. The flames were so intense that they destroyed five buildings and, for a time, threatened to consume the entire district.

While a large crowd gathered to watch the dramatic scene, their attention was eventually pulled away from the burning buildings by something even more incredible: the heroic actions of a mother cat determined to save her family from the fire. 

The cat had made a cozy home for her family under a wooden boardwalk right next to the building where the fire began. As soon as she smelled smoke, she emerged from under the walkway with a kitten in her mouth and darted across the street to the safety of a nearby basement. 

Refusing to leave any of her young behind, she went back into the danger zone again and again. She continued these rescue trips until all five of her kittens had been carried to safety.

During her final trip, the flames had already begun to leap over the boardwalk. Even though the heat was so intense it singed her fur, she refused to back down. She grabbed her last kitten and carried it out of harm's way just in time.