The five-alarm fire tore through the six-story building in Sunnyside on Wednesday around noon. An investigation is underway, and officials have deemed the use of an unauthorized blowtorch as the cause of the fire.
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Dozens of families are now without a home right before the Christmas holiday. Among those affected include Sylvester and Cookie, a pair of cat siblings.
Pictures show Sylvester on the fire escape before he got scared and jumped six stories, hit the top of a car and ran. Cookie stayed put on the ledge and was rescued by the FDNY.
A neighbor eventually found Sylvester and brought him back to his very thankful owners.
"If I get my cats, that's all I want right now, just to be with them. I'm just glad they are here," said Teresa Ventura, their owner. "They're the best Christmas presents, these two."
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Sylvester and Cookie's family are staying at a hotel in the meantime, and after a checkup with a vet, the brother and sister are said to be doing okay.
ALSO READ: Nearly 200 residents displaced after torch ignites massive fire in Queens
Nearly 200 residents displaced before Christmas after Queens fire
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