Aw, I get chills when I hear these things. Swear I'm taking all of them with me each time I go out (NOT!). Too sad.

Hey, don't know the details for your friend, but this happened in Dec 2005, 9 houses away from me. The family woke up at 2 AM house on fire, all the people got out. The firefighters found one cat, tried the pet oxygen mask, but no go. Never found the second cat. About 4 days later, the lady went through the house with her insurance adjuster, and there was cat pee and poop in what used to be her bedroom! Took 3 weeks to coax the cat out, she was hiding in the walls, no idea how she survived, we had a deep freeze at that time. Woman went daily, left food out, and water. Finally, once the adjuster said he was done, she went in with a hammer and 2 other folks, and literally tore the wall apart to get the cat out. Poor thing was so scared, dirty as heck (an all white cat, wouldn't you know?). Spent 48 hours at the vet, the insurance co paid for the vet to do the bathing, clean up, health care etc. By this time the family was in an apartment, no longer in the red cross hotel suite. Took the cat home, ppor thing refused to leave their laps for WEEKS afterwards.

The vet said the cat probably left the house during the fire and returned after all the commotion was done with.

Anyway, point is, unless the firefighters found them, they "may" still be there.