Firefighters save animals trapped in Oxford pet shop during fire

Firefighters have rescued animals from a fire inside a pet store in Oxford.

Crews were called to the blaze at the back of Pets at Home in the John Allen centre in Temple Cowley on Tuesday afternoon (11 July).

They quickly put out the flames but thick smoke posed a threat to the animals trapped inside.

Positive pressure fans were used to clear the smoke and provide vital air to the animals while firefighters in breathing apparatus were sent in to the building.

They transferred the animals into portable cages, before bringing them to the staff outside.

Incident Commander, Crew Manager, Henri Ind, said: “The staff had done an excellent job evacuating the store and rescuing as many animals as they could safely.

"This allowed us to focus on extinguishing the fire and stopping it from spreading to neighbouring properties.

"We evacuated the surrounding retail units as a precaution as the smoke travel between these were extensive.

“We're also pleased to say that all the animals were safely rescued and, after a stressful few hours, are now back in their homes, being cared for by the staff.”

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