Animals Rescued After Pet Store Fire

A number of animals were rescued Tuesday morning after a fire at Pets Etc. at . Nobody was injured, but the store must remain closed until repairs are made, according to the Naperville Fire Department.

At about 8:22 a.m. Tuesday a store employee called 911 and reported hearing a popping sound coming from an electric panel and also seeing black smoke in the rear of the store, according to a news release from Division Fire Chief Mark Ziemnik.  

The fire department sent 24 responders and 10 pieces of equipment to the scene, arriving at about 8:37 a.m., according to Ziemnik. The first crews to arrive found a lot of thick, black smoke coming from the business.

After crews forced their way into the business, a small fire was found and extinguished, according to Ziemnik. Fire crews also rescued a number of animals found inside the store. The animals consisted of birds, fish, hamsters and other animals.

The owner of the store was able to gather the animals and was relocating them, Ziemnik said in a phone call Tuesday afternoon.

The fire took place early in the day and temperatures had yet to peak, so firefighters didn't encounter any problems from the heat, Ziemnik in the phone call.

The fire took about 10 minutes to extinguish and it is estimated that damage is in excess of $25,000. A building inspector declared the building uninhabitable until repairs are made.

The cause of the fire was believed to be electrical and unrelated to the heat, Ziemnik said.