Animals killed when fire rips through Newberg pet store
NEWBERG, Ore. – Fire ripped through a Newberg pet store on Thursday morning, killing many animals inside.
The fire at Critter Cabana in the 500 block of East First Street was reported at 7:50 a.m. and by the time fire crews arrived, the pet shop was engulfed in flames.
Firefighters worked quickly to knock down the flames then started to bring surviving animals out of the store. They were aided by dozens of people who showed up to help treat the animals and take them to another Critter Cabana location in Wilsonville.
“I love this community,” said store owner Brittani Johnson. “Newberg’s amazing; they always have been and this particularly really shows their heart and true spirit.”
Local veterinarians also showed up to help treat animals.
It’s not clear how many animals were in the store and how many survived, but including small animals and fish there were likely hundreds of animals inside. The fire chief believes most of them died in the fire.
Most of the surviving animals brought out right after the fire were reptiles.
“We did have birds, small animals, shelter kittens, local puppies,” Johnson said. “If I actually think about the animals that are in there, I can’t think about it.”
No people were injured in the fire.
Around 55 firefighters from several agencies came to help since the store was located in a two-story building connected to other old buildings. The buildings also did not have sprinkler systems, Newberg Fire Chief Frank Douglas said.
During the fire, Newberg Fire also received reports of a car wreck, several other medical calls and a second unrelated fire. Due to the high volume of calls, they had to rely heavily on help from other agencies in Yamhill, Washington and Marion Counties.
http://www.crittercabana.com/thrivin-survivors/
"...there were likely hundreds of animals inside. The fire chief believes most of them died in the fire...." It is a terrible tragedy to even imagine.
HUNDREDS ??? Hundreds of animals for sale in some  pet- "shop" Â
with no sprinkler systems at all....??Â
( Hundreds of animals....while the shelters are overflowing... and even I have ended up having to help rescue dumped pets that originated from this shop...)
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Shop owners: I am so sorry for your loss ,but I cannot believe you did not have better emergency measures  (sprinkler systems/night-watch) in place when dealing in live animals. Please: if you re-open  1) get a sprinkler system!!!
... and: 2) do reconsider dealing much more in second-hand pets who through no fault of their own need homes, and please do  not  keep encouraging the wanton and endless breeding of pets when there simply are not enough homes to go around many times over these days.
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 @whirledworld They had fish, so if you count individual fish whose tanks' water temp rose during the fire and boiled them - that could help account for the "hundreds" explanation. Not to say that there were puppies, kittens, hamsters, mice, and reptiles not killed. I'm just thinking what the chief was trying to target the numbers with.
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This is just a sad, sad thing.Â
I drove past it this morning on my way to work. What I find odd is the time. I got to work at 7:35 am and work near the Newberg airport. The front of the store had yellow tape around it and there were people there and the door was open. I didn't see any smoke.
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Anyway, I got home from work and a friend told me about it. It is so sad to think of all those poor animals. It is the coolest shop and I used to go in there from time to time just to look at the animals. I especially loved the tortoises roaming. I'm glad to hear they were rescued.
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Maybe in the big city every building has sprinklers and coded alarms. I have worked in buildings in Newberg, McMinnville, and Forest Grove that didn't have either. I also owned a business and rented a building. The fire department did not require alarms or sprinklers, just fire extinguishers. Some of the buildings I worked in were less than 10 years old so even age doesn't seem to matter. Yamhill county is not full of rich people who can retrofit every building with full sprinklers and alarms. If this were required then it is likely 3/4 or more of the businesses in our area would be forced to close. Now that I think of it, I have been in many businesses throughout Portland and Vancouver and they didn't have sprinklers or coded alarms either.
What a terrible thing... so awful for the animals - no way to escape - so scared... one of my friends had a fire in her house some years ago - started while she was at church; when she came home, the firefighters were there, working on putting out the fire. Â Fortunately, it didn't destroy her whole house, but it did considerable damage... worst part was her 2 kitties both died of smoke inhalation... My friend never quite recovered from that...Â
I feel sorry for the owner and employees at this pet store, too...they must really feel bad...
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Altogether, folks, this sure hasn't been one of our better weeks... Â Stay safe, everybody, and try to be good to each other...Â
 @margay1 It has been a terrible week. =...(
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Margay, I especially want to wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season. You've been posting for years. Always gracious, kind and considerate. It wouldn't be the same around here without you. May not be the best place or time, but hey, it's been a really emotional week, like you said.
 @Lips ~  Thank you, Lips... what a nice thing to say..!   I know you've been posting here for quite a long time, too... I always watch for your posts and I really enjoy them... I'm fortunate to be able to work from my home, so I can pretty much set my own hours; makes it easy to take a break now and then and check in to see what's happening and who's around to "talk to"... This week has been a real heart-breaker....
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Lips, I wish you and yours the very best of holidays ~ good health and happiness ~ and may 2013 be a better one for us all... Â
This makes me sick to my stomach.
I hope those huge tortoises that walk around the store survived.Â
 @Beergod how many birds died?
@Beergod They did!! I just saw them in the Wilsonville location.
Why did this building not have fire sprinklers and pass code????    How horrific! Makes me sick to my stomach and I hope there is a serious investigation done!
Older buildings do not have sprinkler systems. It would probably be a very expensive update. A lot of towns have older buildings, and the renters or owners may not have the extra cash, to update the buildings. More than likely the building did pass code...when it was built. I would imagine there will be an investigation as to what caused the fire. If they had fire extinguishers, that may have been the only requirement.
 @Just Lookin It is reprehensible to house  hundreds ( or even five) pets in a store with no sprinkler system and no night-watch person there in case of something like this.Â
 @Just Lookin Hmmm...Money...Life...money...life....I choose life over expense any day...
 @sillymunkey  @Just Lookin But statistically unless it's a dog, you go to the cheapest place you can for pets and pet supplies.
@sillymunkey @Just Lookin All life has a dollar figure, as odd as it may sound.
how can a store with living beings not have a sprinkler system and a smoke alarm connected to the local fire station. this is an outrage. all animals - not just humans - need rights. without legislature, humans are not providing pro-active care, care that could have saved these innocent lives. as if it's not horrible to killed by fire but to also trapped in a cage and killed by fire.
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It is an older building. Not a new one that is built to the latest code. Who would have paid the $$$ to update the building? What has legislature got to do with older buildings? If you want the government to jump on the back of all businesses to update older buildings...then expect some businesses to close, or to ask for funding.
 @Just Lookin If your family died in that fire, I can bet you'd be all over the owners not having a sprinkler system...
 @sillymunkey  @Just Lookin YOUR house has working sprinklers, right? I'm guessing it doesn't. You mean you put your OWN family/pets at risk? Do you feel exempt because you can't afford it? Your house meets code without sprinklers? You're "only" renting?Â
 @everyBeing: it's an old building. These buildings have been around since the late 20's and 30's. Newberg is an old town. If you're going to spout things like that, back them up, otherwise unequivocated statements such as yours make you look like an idiot.Â
 @John Goldwood  @everyBeing John, what if your family was in that building?....oh well...it's an old building....all your loved ones gone, but hey, it was an old building what can you expect, right?
 @sillymunkey  @John Goldwood  @everyBeing Have you made sure that your parents have sprinkler systems in their homes and that there's one in yours?
 @John Goldwood  @Ervingg  @sillymunkey  @everyBeing I agree completely. Newberg is like a giant family. Everyone is devastated by the fire. Critter Cabana wasn't just a place to buy a pet, it was a place we could go to lift our spirits. Everyone loves the people and the animals there, and Gracie will be greatly missed :(Â
 @Ervingg  @sillymunkey  @John Goldwood  @everyBeing Critter cabana was a favorite place of mine to go when I needed some cheering up from a kitty or another furry animal. What I'm trying to say is that if you're going to be spouting stuff, make sure you know what you're spouting. I go off like this, because of the fact that Newberg is and always has been like home to me, and any part of it that that "dies," a part of me dies as well. Being a Fox person, this is my statement.
 @sillymunkey  @John Goldwood  @everyBeing If you guys want us in newberg to have better sprinklers and such, how bout you help us with the money? We arent just saying "Oh well, its just animals" We all care so much about Critter Cabana and today is breaking our hearts. If we had the money, we would've had the sprinklers. Critter Cabana IS our family :(
Crap happens.
I love my pups. This is heartbreaking.
Very cool pet store! Â So very sad, I did hear that the turtles and reptiles were saved.Â
So sad....this has been a real burdensome week :( Poor little souls.
heard....not herd.....that would be like "a herd of cows"
ive herd so far a few rabbits survived, none/very few birds.. i havent herd anything else yet about the other animals :(
This will likely ruin my entire week, if not my entire winter break... That place held a special place in my heart. Not for any particular reason, other than my love for animals, but I'd make it a habit to visit there once or twice a month. I'd always wanted a job there or at least volunteer....The thought of how scared those animals must have been makes me sick to my stomach. I really hope they were able to save most of them.Â
 @Erin Rice I know. My kids and I visit the shop nearly every weekend. My heart is broken for the animals as well as the staff that are always so friendly. Blessings to those that are fighting this fire. .Â
Poor animals.
i really hope all the firefighters stay safe as well!!! my brother-in-law & a couple of friends husbends are there fighting it!
@shortychic1987 Thank them for their service
Poor animals...dependent on humans for their care and safety...the failure of whom cost them their lives.
No excuses...none.
 @Mikey : You ever been to Newberg? you ever walked there and noticed that it's on OLD town, built in the olden days? So if you want to sound like an idiot, which you did, then continue and you will be mocked for being stupid.Â
 @John Goldwood Sorry I sounded like an idiot, John.
I tried once to be one, like you, but just never had the knack.
Maybe you could give classes in your spare time.
 @John Goldwood  @Mikey There's still no goddamn excuse not to have adequate emergency precautions for a store filled with animals.  You're the idiot here.
In the wild, they would have probably been eaten. Not sure which is a worse way to go.
 @OSUx2 That's true, but at least they could have attempted some kind of escape. Hard to do when you're in a cage.
Not all that different than americans being dependent on the government for care and safety!
 @portlandborn83 Actually it is.
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The major difference being WE ARE the government, not the animals ... although many people believe it to be that way. When bad things happen to us, we are dependent upon the processes put in place BY US.
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Unfortunately, the animals have to depend on us as well. Given the state of our economy and government, we should by all rights be as dead as the animals caught in the fire.
 @portlandborn83 While I don't disagree with you, this isn't the time or the place.
 @Erin Rice  @portlandborn83 Were commenting on an online forum. This is the perfect time and place.......
i really hope the animals are ok... this is just so sad! id love to take care of any animals needing a place to stay till they figure things out!
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its been busy this morning we have 2 fires, 2 car crashes & 1 police chase....
I am sad for the animals. I do Guinea Pig rescue and would be happy to take in any guinea pigs needing care
@Bettie PinUp Is your Guinea Pig rescue in the greater Portland area? If So, what's the name? When I went to the Wilsonville store I was asking about taking guineas in. They said they have animals at a vet but they didn't have the details on what all was there.