What to Know
- A massive fire burned down the main barn of Blakes Exotic Animal Ranch Tuesday afternoon in Southwest Ranches
- The owner estimates around 300 tortoises and rare fish died in the fire, with an additional estimated $350K in damage and losses
An exotic animal ranch owner is devastated after a fire ripped through his barn Tuesday in Southwest Ranches, killing hundreds of animals inside.
The fire started at around 2 p.m. at Blakes Exotic Animal Ranch, located at SW 178th Avenue and SW 46th Street, according to Davie Fire Rescue. Fire officials estimated around 70 percent of the main barn was burned down. Footage from Chopper 6 showed the structure almost completely destroyed and firefighters extinguishing the flare-ups.
Blake Kaldirimoglu, the owner of the ranch, dedicates his life to educating the public about rare animals.
"I've been doing this a long time -- watching something burn is a sad way to see it go away," he told NBC 6.
Nobody was home when the fire started. The flames didn't touch his house, which sits less than 50 feet from the barn.
According to a GoFundMe page set up to help aid the ranch, over 300 turtles, tortoises and a species of rare fish were killed.
Local
"I have to start over," Kaldirimoglu said.
He also estimates around $350,000 in damages and loss of the animals.
"This was a catastrophic loss for Blake and his family at the ranch," the GoFundMe page stated. "Anyone who knows Blake knows these animals are his life and he has a true passion for what he does. His hope is to rebuild the barn and regrow his fish and tortoise population with your help."
Fire officials were also searching for animals who may have escaped during the fire.
Click here for the GoFundMe that has been set up to help the ranch with its losses and damages.
