Portsmouth firefighters successfully prevented a 2-alarm fire inside a historic South End neighborhood home from spreading and they also saved Tiki Bear, a 17-year-old cat who was found unconscious in the basement of the building.

Portsmouth firefighters Mark Herrholtz and Tim Dame gave the feline oxygen after they laid her on the ground outside the home at 215 Gates St. David Adams, Tiki Bear's owner, could only watch and pray that his beloved cat would be saved.

After a few minutes of giving Tiki Bear the oxygen he needed, the cat's breathing improved. Herrholtz then brought Tiki Bear to a waiting police cruiser so he could be transported to a veterinary clinic for additional treatment. Adams was extremely grateful that Portsmouth firefighters were able to save his pet after he rushed to the scene from work after learning that the historic home built in 1742 where he and his wife Deborah have lived for 25 years suffered heavy smoke, fire and water damage.

"I think it's an extraordinary extension of their abilities," he said. As he looked at his home that he had worked to restore for so many years, Adams, a historic preservation carpenter, said, "It hurts. I've got a lot of work in that house."

But he also said he hopes to rebuild and repair the damage caused by the fire, which he believes may have started around the fireplace area on the first floor.

Portsmouth Fire Chief Christopher LeClaire said the fire was first reported at 11:32 a.m. and a second alarm was called in at 11:42 a.m. Firefighters from all three Portsmouth fire stations, Rye, Dover, and Kittery, Maine, responded. Firefighters from Hampton and North Hampton covered Station 2 and New Castle firefighters covered Station 1. The Pease Fire Department covered Station 3.

LeClaire said when the first firefighters arrived on scene, the fire was on the first floor and had spread to the second floor. The fire was knocked down at 11:52 a.m., he said. He said there were several challenges fighting this fire in such a dense neighborhood filled with historic, wooden houses.