Hundreds of animals were killed Friday when a fire broke out at a Dallas shopping center.
The 579 animals, mostly small birds, in a pet shop at Plaza Latina shopping center died from smoke inhalation, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson Jason Evans said in a statement.
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Firefighters spray water on the Plaza Latina shopping center in Dallas, Texas on Friday. (KDFW)
Dallas Fire Rescue said that by the time firefighters arrived, heavy smoke and flames were rising from the building, FOX Dallas reported.
It took them about two hours to fully extinguish the blaze.
The flames never reached the animals, but the pet shop filled with smoke. In addition to the birds, chickens, hamsters, two dogs and two cats also died, Evans said.
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The Plaza Latina shopping center in Dallas. (KDFW)
“While DFR personnel did search and attempt rescue, all animals in the shop unfortunately perished due to smoke inhalation,” Evans said.
No people were hurt in the fire. However, the fire did significant damage to the structure, including a partially collapsed roof.
Wilmer is about 16 miles away from downtown Dallas. (Matt Nager/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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The shopping center includes multiple small businesses and was described on its Facebook page as “a place where people can go to eat, and buy all sorts of Latin goods and services.”
A post on the page in Spanish asked for prayers for the families who work there.
Dallas Fire Rescue did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
