Firefighters bitten while trying to save pets

Firefighters were bitten by frightened animals as several cats and three dogs were pulled from a burning home in Rochester.

Battalion Chief Erik Propotnik says protective gear prevented the firefighters from being injured by the animals. But one firefighter was taken to a hospital for evaluation after suffering a minor knee injury in the search.

Propotnik told the Post-Bulletin of Rochester (http://bit.ly/PTgYLD ) that firefighters forced their way inside the house Saturday morning after being told someone might be inside, but firefighters determined that what sounded like a person in trouble was actually a combination of various cat and dog distress calls.

All the pets survived. The occupant was not home at the time of the blaze, which caused an estimated $15,000 in damage.

The cause is under investigation.