Woman Dies in House Fire While Trying to Save Cats in Italy

A 69-year-old woman died Thursday night in Salto di Avegno, near Genoa, Italy, after re-entering her burning home to rescue her cats. The victim was identified as Gabriella Gellio, a former elementary school teacher who lived in the single-family house on via Posato with her husband, Roberto Daros.

The fire broke out late Thursday evening, around 10:45 p.m. According to initial reports and statements from authorities, Gellio and her husband had successfully made it outside to safety after noticing the flames. However, driven by concern for their cats remaining inside, the woman went back into the smoke-filled building.

Her husband, Roberto Daros, recounted the harrowing moments leading up to the tragedy. He explained that his wife had first alerted him to the flames coming from the electrical switches. After failing to contain the fire with a household fire extinguisher, the couple managed to evacuate initially. Daros stated that they went inside and outside two or three times to recover pets, but eventually the interior became unbreathable. "I saw her going in again, I yelled at her not to go, and then I didn't see her anymore," Daros said.

Just as Gellio re-entered the structure, the wooden roof, heavily compromised by the spreading fire, collapsed. Three fire department teams arrived at the scene, though their response time was reportedly extended due to a closed highway toll booth in Recco. Firefighters worked through the night to battle the blaze and search for the victim, eventually discovering her lifeless body beneath the rubble.

Investigators from the fire department's judicial police unit, along with Carabinieri from Uscio and Rapallo, launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire. While official assessments are ongoing, preliminary information suggests the blaze may have originated from an electrical panel before spreading rapidly across the wooden ceiling.

Originally from Genoa, Gellio and her husband had relocated to Salto di Avegno approximately fifteen years ago. Following her career as an elementary school teacher, Gellio pursued her dream in retirement by establishing a Maine Coon cat breeding operation. She was a member of the Fédération Internationale Féline and was well-known among breeders and animal enthusiasts.

Friends and acquaintances remembered Gellio as a deeply compassionate person devoted entirely to her animals. "She didn't return to the house for business... she returned out of affection and love for those small animals. She had started breeding them for the love she held for them," lifelong friends Bruna, Giovanni, and Pietro shared.

Of the approximately twenty cats that lived at the residence, most were safely recovered by the following morning and taken into the care of the couple's children, while only three remained missing. Local authorities have placed the site under the control of the judicial authority as investigations continue.