For Immediate Release

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Structure Fire at Pro Exotics

At 5:39 a.m. September 26, a Douglas County Sheriffs Deputy responded to an intrusion alarm at 3911 Norwood Drive, Unit C in Highlands Ranch. The building is a one-story, six-unit office/warehouse structure. Located at that address is Pro Exotics, a business that sells exotic reptiles to buyers around the world. Upon arrival, the deputy reported smoke coming from the front of the unit. Littleton Fire Rescue personnel were notified at 5:46 a.m. and arrived on scene at 5:51 a.m. They made entry into the unit and encountered heavy smoke and some fire. The heavy smoke, confusing layout, and presence of snakes on the floor led responders to pull out and begin defensive fire suppression tactics.

The stubborn fire in the rear of the unit was quickly contained, but not fully extinguished until about 10 a.m. Several holes were cut through the roof of the building to better ventilate smoke and get water directly onto the remaining fire.

The business owners reported that about 3,000 non-venomous snakes were kept in containers stored in racks throughout the unit. Almost all of them died from the fire; however, upon further investigation, a small number of snakes had been found alive. The owners took them to a nearby building where Pro Exotics leases additional space. Also rescued from the unit were numerous incubation containers containing snake eggs that are potentially salvageable.

There was extensive fire damage to Units C and D. The roof structure, electrical, and natural gas lines were all badly damaged. A dollar-loss estimate for the fire is not yet available. All six units in the building will be without utilities until the Douglas County Building Department has determined that those services have been fully repaired.

Twenty-one fire vehicles responded to the scene from Littleton Fire Rescue, South Metro, and the Englewood Fire Department. No injuries were reported.

The fire investigation is underway and will take several days. There are no initial findings at this time leading to an obvious cause.