Jacksonville Firefighters Rescue Kitten Trapped On Air Conditioning Unit

Jacksonville firefighters responded to an unusual rescue call on Sunday, saving a curious kitten that had climbed onto an air conditioning unit on the second floor of a building in the 800 block of Illinois Avenue.

The scene was chaotic upon arrival, as described by Ricky Padilla, driver/engineer for the Jacksonville Fire Department. “It honestly was like a scene from a movie, with people yelling and kids crying,” he recalled.

The firefighters quickly deployed a ladder, expertly placed by Lieutenant Josh Sorrells at the edge of the window sill. Padilla ascended the ladder and secured the kitten, bringing relief and joy to the gathered crowd. “It made a lot of people happy and brought smiles to the community,” he added.

Investigations revealed that the kitten likely climbed out of a window, using a hole in the screen to access the air conditioning unit but was unable to descend on its own.

Though often depicted in stories as rescuing cats from trees, such calls are not routine for the department. However, the firefighters have a history of responding to animal emergencies, including several cat rescues, dogs trapped in holes, and even a bird stuck in a tree.

In June 2022, firefighters rescued a dog that had fallen into a cistern beneath a porch, and more recently, they lifted a shed to free another trapped dog, as shared in a post on the department’s Facebook page.