Los Angeles firefighters rescued more than 100 animals from an early morning pet store fire in East Hollywood on Monday but numerous others died.

Among those saved were 25 puppies, some rabbits, mice, frogs and fish, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. Others, including birds, mice, guinea pigs and fish, died and were discovered later in the heavily damaged store.

The pet shop was not equipped with sprinklers, fire officials said.

The fire broke out around 6 a.m. in an attic of a strip mall in the 1100 block of Vermont Avenue. Firefighters doused the flames in less than an hour after rescuing as many animals as they could find from the smoke-filled store.


No people were injured in the blaze, the cause of which is under investigation. Another business also was damaged in the fire.

No damage estimate was available yet.

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