Horrific fire blazes through Hertfordshire children's zoo killing almost all animals inside
A fire at a children's soft play centre and mini zoo has been revealed to have killed almost every single animal inside, with the business sharing a heartfelt message with customers in its aftermath.
The company in Hertfordshire has been on the receiving end of a tragic blaze that began on the Watermill Industrial Estate in Buntingford at approximately 3am on Wednesday (10 June).
The Jungle Box is a well-known soft play location for kids that has only been open for a year, showcasing tiny animals like meercats and owls, to a 16ft snake.
But after residents reported seeing black smoke billowing from the building, road closures were put in place and ten fire engines attended the scene from the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, per the Mirror.
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There, they tackled the fire but confirmed that all animals in the building had died, except a lucky tortoise, though no people were reported to have been injured.
Assistant chief fire officer Darren Cook said: "In the early hours of the morning we received calls to a significant fire at The Jungle Box in Buntingford.
"Crews worked hard to contain the fire and prevent it spreading to neighbouring units. I’d like to thank all crews for their professionalism and hard work and fire control colleagues for their calm and efficient handling of the calls.
"We can confirm that a number of animals were inside the building at the time of the fire and did not survive."
Despite initial fears that all the animals had died, firefighters shared the 'small but powerful moment' they discovered a baby tortoise alive in the wreckage.
Currently, when attempting to book at the location, a message flags on its website, noting that it’s unavailable for further hires.
It says: “Due to local emergency incident we are currently closed until further notice. We apologise for any inconvenience.”
Yesterday, the firefighting service posted to Facebook a warning to anyone living around the area.
It said: “Firefighters are currently dealing with a fire at a unit on the Watermill Industrial Estate in Buntingford. They were called at 3.19 this morning and have worked hard to stop the fire spreading to other units on the site.
"Ten fire engines and an aerial ladder platform are currently on scene while they tackle the blaze.
“No one has been injured and there was no one on site as the fire began. We are asking those in the local area to keep their windows and doors shut as the fire is generating a fair amount of smoke.”
The fire service has said its investigation to establish the cause of the fire is ongoing.
Britt Jones