Neighbors, community members lead search for animals trapped in St. Louis Park apartment fire

Nearly four full days after Helix Apartments in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, caught fire, displacing 167 units, residents and neighbors are still searching for animals thought to be trapped inside.

More than a half dozen have been rescued since Saturday, according to Jessica Proskin, who lives near the complex and has visited daily since.

"We knew there were still animals in the building — I am a huge animal lover — right away we all wanted to try and figure out what we could do to get any surviving animals out of the building," Proskin said.

Proskin and others have set traps near the building, loaded with fresh animal food, attempting to lure cats out of the building.

"Our pets are family members," she said. "I would venture to guess that if we thought there was a child in that building, there'd be no question there would be a crew in that building to get that child out. Are we just going to let the remaining pets die just because we can't get into there now?"

Ben Streeter was in his apartment when the fire started and thought the cats he owned with his fiancée were gone forever after he was unable to rescue them during his evacuation.

"I had no hope," he said.

Sunday, a couple spotted a cat in a window. It was his.

"They showed me, and I got chills; I'm like, 'That's my cat!'" he said. He and others flew a drone over the open roof; both cats were alive, still in his bedroom.

"It was just a rush of adrenaline — it was pure joy — like honestly, we thought they were gone," he said. "We were never seeing them again. The moment we see them, we never want to let them go."