East TN teen accused of calling in fake fire to rescue cat stuck in tree

OOLTEWAH, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities say a teenager whose cat was stuck in a tree is in bigger trouble after falsely reporting a fire to attract help.

The 911 center’s operations director in Hamilton County in East Tennessee, Jeff Carney, tells WRCB-TV that multiple agencies responded to what they thought was a fire Monday at the home of 18-year-old Trevor Austin Lane.

Lane’s arrest report says his cat had been stuck in a tree overnight, and he figured the fire department’s “big ladders” would be of use.

He was charged with a 911 violation and jailed on $1,500 bond. It’s unclear whether he has a lawyer.

Carney says dispatchers would have connected Lane with the appropriate resources had he been honest. He says such false calls are wasteful and dangerous as responders rush to the scene.