579 animals killed after fire rips through Northwest Dallas shopping center, officials say
Dallas — A fire broke out at a northwest Dallas mall Friday morning, killing hundreds of animals.
The Dallas Fire Rescue Department announced that the fire at Latin Market Plaza on Harry Hines Boulevard killed 579 animals, mostly from smoke inhalation.
The dead animals were placed in an exotic pet shop.
“Most were small birds, but there were also chickens, hamsters, two dogs and two cats,” Dallas Fire Rescue spokesman Robert Boles said. “No exotic animals were found on site during the recovery.”
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Several others were rescued and revived through the efforts of Dallas Fire Rescue personnel.
“While the fire did not spread to the pet store, a large amount of smoke did enter the pet store,” Boles said. “While DFR personnel conducted a search and attempted rescues, all (remaining) animals in the store unfortunately died from smoke inhalation. “
Dallas firefighters accustomed to dousing flames performed CPR on a turtle and revived a dying puppy.
CBS New Texas photojournalist Alexis Ramirez captured exclusive video showing firefighters in action, including one focused on bringing a puppy back to life.
“I’m an animal lover, so I try to think about them,” said Jasmine Sanchez, whose mother owns a clothing store in Plaza Latina. Sanchez knew the animal was inside and called 911.
“God uses people and I just think about them and that’s it. I’m happy for them but I’m really sad for a lot of people who are dying inside and it’s sad,” Sanchez said.
The crew also rescued miniature pigs, guinea pigs and rabbits.
Dallas Animal Services is caring for the nearly two dozen animals that survived.
The two-alarm fire started around 9 a.m. and nearly 50 firefighters were involved in putting out the blaze. The roof partially collapsed. The building houses several small businesses, many of which have been operating in the complex for 25 years. The owners hope to enter the building Saturday to assess the damage.
