'No Survivors': 23 Cats Recovered From Rubble Of Raging LI Fire

COPIAGUE, NY —After two months of searching through rubble for surviving cats that disappeared after a raging fire destroyed a Long Island couple's home in January, the 23rd body has been found, confirming that no cats survived the blaze.

Terri and Jim Stephanie, who survived the fire with multiple injuries—didn't just lose their home on that fateful day—they lost 23 feline friends they cared for as dedicated animal rescuers.

"I am saddened to share the news that the 23rd cat's body has been located in the rubble from the Copiague house that burned to the ground," said John Debacker, of Long Island Cat/Kitten Solution, a non-profit dedicated to helping feral cats. "Sadly there were no survivors. Please pray for them."

On Jan. 13, Debacker told Patch community members gathering to search for survivors had "recovered six deceased cats, 17 are still missing."

Search teams recovered just one feral, outdoor cat the couple cared for, Debacker said.

In the early hours of Jan. 9, the Stephanies woke up the blaze and narrowly escaped. Jim suffered a fractured spine and other broken bones after jumping from a second-story window; Suffolk police said Terri was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

While Terri and Jim recover at Nassau University Medical Center, Debacker and other community members routinely searched through the rubble hoping to find and rehome the cats.