More than 500 animals are dead due to smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at a Dallas shopping center.
A two-alarm fire broke out at the Plaza Latina Bazaar — where the pet store was located — at around 9:15 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 3, Dallas Fire-Rescue told Associated Press, CBS News and The Washington Times.
Fire officials told local outlet WFAA-TV that while the fire “did not reach the pet shop” — but a “great deal of smoke did enter” it. They also noted, per AP, 579 animals died as a result of smoke inhalation.
“Most were small birds, but there were also chickens, hamsters, two dogs and two cats,” Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Robert Borse said, per CBS News. “No exotic animals were found on the site at the time of recovery.”
At least a dozen animals were brought out of the building by firefighters and treated for smoke inhalation in the parking lot, WFAA-TV reported. It was unclear whether any of those animals survived.
Dallas Fire-Rescue did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the incident.
“When firefighters arrived at the large one-story commercial occupancy, they were met with heavy smoke and fire conditions,” Dallas Fire-Rescue said, per WFAA-TV.
“Recognizing that suppression efforts would be defensive early on, a second-alarm response was immediately requested,” Dallas Fire-Rescue continued. “[Firefighters used] hand lines and three ladder pipes to surround and drown the fire from all sides.”
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About 40 firefighters responded to extinguish the blaze, which caused a partial section of the one-story commercial building to collapse. No people were injured in the fire and the cause of the fire is under investigation, fire officials noted, per The Washington Times.
The shopping center usually hosts about 200 vendors, though many were not at the site when the fire broke out, according to WFAA-TV. Two people who had been there at the time were able to make it out safely, the outlet reported.
Following the incident, the Plaza Latina Bazaar shared in a translated post on Facebook, per The Washington Times: “We had a regrettable situation this morning. We ask for your prayers for all the families who work here, hoping to be back strong, to give you the attention that you deserve.”
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