DENVER (KDVR) — In the smoke and haze of several devastating wildfires across the Front Range, firefighters battling the Quarry Fire are finding inspiration through a cat that was found covered in fire retardant.

During a press conference Saturday afternoon, Mark Techmeyer with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said firefighters have seen wildlife in the mountains while battling the Quarry Fire, including rattlesnakes that made firefighting efforts difficult and bears and mountain lions that were curious about what was going on.

But a domestic cat stole the hearts of emergency personnel.

“Just think about this now, you have a cat that’s been out there four or five days, was close enough to the fire to be hit by retardant, I can’t imagine how scared, trying to find its way —” Techmeyer said, “But that cat, to me, is the symbol of what we’ve been through here. That is survival, and tenacity, and hanging in there and fighting.”

The cat was washed off and taken to the Foothills Animal Shelter. The sheriff’s office said the can has been reunited with its owner.

Since the fire started on Tuesday, nearly 500 acres have burned near populated neighborhoods. The fire is believed to be human-caused, and an arson investigation is underway. Luckily, no structures have been lost. Meanwhile, the Alexander Mountain Fire destroyed dozens of buildings and the Stone Canyon Fire killed one person this week.

Hundreds of firefighters have been digging trenches, hiking on steep terrain, removing slash and combustibles and more in the heat, and overnight, all week to protect homes in the area.

Things are looking up on Saturday, as crews are now reporting 20% containment and some evacuations have been lifted.