For about four minutes on Sunday, July 23, Dick Crowley tried to trap a cat named Spooky into a cat carrier.

On any other day, perhaps the act would have gone barely noticed or appreciated, but on this day, Crowley’s effort was one of many acts of kindness that took place in the Watch City, as residents rallied together to help each other escape a colossal fire along the Charles River near Cooper Street.

Help for a friend

Crowley’s tussle with Spooky took place in the residence of Keri Hudson at the Francis Cabot Lowell Mill, a large residential complex for people with disabilities and senior citizens just across the river from the fire.

At the time, a fire alarm was going off in the mill at roughly 4 a.m., and Crowley, who also lives at the mill, was under the assumption the alarm was for a fire in the building. His first thought was to call his friend Keri, who suffers from cerebral palsy and is wheelchair bound.

Crowley has a cat as well, so after getting his cat in a carrier, he went to Hudson’s unit.

Spooky was particularly difficult to trap, running between the couch and bed, as Crowley tried to chase after her. But eventually, he caught her, put her in a carrier, and left the building in search of a firefighter to help him get Hudson out.

Eventually, thanks to Crowley’s help, the firefighter met Hudson at her unit and helped her leave the building through the elevator. Crowley was worried that if he had gone in an elevator with Hudson, they could have been stuck inside if the building suffered any electrical issues.

Keri is the daughter of Dianne Hudson, who works for the city’s planning department and also works with the Cat Connection, writing Kitty Corner columns every week in the Waltham News Tribune.

Dianne called Crowley "such a sweet man," and thanked him for his efforts.

Many acts of kindness

She said Crowley’s act of kindness was one of many she witnessed. Another example: a woman offered her sweater to Keri, who was only dressed in pajamas.

Others were bringing chairs for the senior citizens to sit on.

"It was incredible to see how many people were helping each other," said Dianne.

Residents at the mill were evacuated to McDevitt Middle School once the fire broke out.

State Rep. Tom Stanley was at the school. He had gone to the mill to check on his aunt, who lives there.

Once at McDevitt, Stanley called Randy Plante, who runs a Dunkin’ Donuts on Main Street, and Plante provided free coffee and donuts to the displaced residents.

Other business, such as Market Basket and BJ’s, also contributed items to the effort.

Local restaurant 781 Bistro opened its doors early in the morning to allow displaced residents to have shelter.

Mayor Jeannette McCarthy said some residents even brought food to the fire site, and offered it to firefighters battling the blaze.

McCarthy was grateful to all of the firefighters who battled the fire, as well as the American Red Cross, and school department officials who were able to get a couple of school buses to help transport residents in the area.

She was especially thankful toward the MBTA, which took some handicap accessible buses out of service just to come help disabled residents evacuate the area.

"People were trying to help any way they could," said McCarthy. "There was a good spirit in Waltham."