A fire broke out in a Dallas shopping center on Friday morning, killing more than 500 animals, most of them small birds, authorities said.
Jason Evans, a spokesman for the Dallas Fire Department, said in a statement that the 579 animals at the pet store in Plaza Latina in northwest Dallas died from smoke inhalation.
The flames from the fire never reached the animals.
Chickens, hamsters, two dogs and two cats also died, Evans said.
The alarm fire lasted about two hours and was extinguished by up to 45 firefighters around 11 a.m., Evans said.
“While DFR personnel searched and attempted a rescue, all of the animals in the store unfortunately died from smoke inhalation,” Evans said.
No one was injured in the fire. The large, one-story shopping center structure sustained extensive damage, including a partially collapsed roof, Evans said.
The shopping center houses several small businesses, and is described on its Facebook page as “a place where people can go to eat and buy all kinds of Latin goods and services.”
A post on the page in Spanish asked for prayers for the families who work there.
The cause of the fire was not immediately determined and is under investigation, Evans said.
