1 life down, 8 to go: Cat survives 26 days in fire rubble

FRANKLIN, Ohio -- A woman's pet cat has been found alive, buried beneath debris 26 days after an Ohio fire.

Sandy LaPierre says she assumed 1-year-old Smoka had died from the Aug. 10 fire in Franklin, about 30 miles north of Cincinnati. The blaze broke out in a building housing a flower shop and LaPierre's second-floor apartment.

A demolition company moved in to tear down what was left of the building the day after the fire. A crew from Stark Wrecking Co. came back Sept. 4 to clear away the rubble and found Smoka's head sticking out from under 16 feet of debris.

LaPierre says her female cat lost a lot of weight and has been gobbling down food to make up for it. She says Smoka has some difficulty walking but otherwise seems OK.

-- The Associated Press