17 Cats Staying at Pet Hotel Killed in Los Angeles Fire, 1 Firefighter Hospitalized
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Seventeen cats were found dead inside a pet hotel, and a firefighter suffered from medical injuries, after a fire broke out in a strip mall in the Palms area of Los Angeles, California, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
Over 100 firefighters were dispatched to the 9000 block of West Venice Boulevard on Saturday after the department received an emergency call around 5:44 a.m. about a series of commercial buildings, including CatPlaceLA โ a feline boarding facility โ being engulfed in flames, LAFD spokesperson Brian Humphrey said in a statement.
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In addition to the pet hotel, other establishments such as a nail salon, smoke shop, martial arts studio and staffing agency also caught fire. Officials added that it took a little over an hour to put out the flames. None of the businesses were equipped with optional fire sprinklers.
Two of 19 cats who were staying in the pet facility made it out alive.
"While two of the cats were safely resuscitated by firefighters and soon transported to emergency veterinary care, seventeen others were sadly beyond medical help and perished at the scene," the statement from LAFD read.
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Speaking to ABC News, Humphrey said the officials believed that "the animals all perished as a result of smoke exposure."
While trying to extinguish the blaze, one firefighter "suffered sudden medical illness" and was transported to the nearest hospital to seek treatment. LAFD officials added that "there were thankfully no civilian injuries."
The LAFD did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment. The cause of the fire has not been revealed, and the case remains under investigation.