Fire at petting zoo at Noccalula Falls Park, dozens of animals killed

GADSDEN, Ala. (WBRC) - The City of Gadsden released a statement saying the petting zoo at Noccalula Falls Park suffered significant damage during an early-morning fire on Sunday and the park is closed until further notice.

Gadsden Fire Chief Wil Reed said a fire was reported at the park by a passerby around 5:45 a.m., and responding firefighters found the petting zoo/barn fully engulfed.

According to Gadsden Times, Falls Park Supervisor Christina Richardson said roughly 75 animals that were inside the barn died in the fire. Among them were birds, baby alligators, a tortoise, 10 turtles and 20 to 25 guinea pigs.

The cause of the blaze is not immediately known, and no human injuries were reported. A full investigation into the fire will be conducted by the Gadsden Fire Department and the fire marshal.

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