An icy wind whipped across an empty, snow-dusted field off Route 981 in South Huntingdon on Thursday afternoon as flames punched through the roof of a barn at Critter Country Animal Farm.
At least a dozen fire trucks and ambulances lined Route 981, blockading the roadway for about an hour and a half.
Firefighters were forced out of the barn when the roof began to collapse.
Critter Country, a petting zoo, has more than 55 kinds of animals, according to its most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection report from Oct. 7. The list includes monkeys, lemurs, an Asiatic water buffalo, a leopard, a kangaroo and many more.
Turkeytown Volunteer Fire Department, based in South Huntingdon, led the efforts to extinguish the flames, said Assistant Fire Chief Jamie Pergola.
No people were injured in the fire, he said. Pergola declined to comment on any injuries or deaths of animals.
A post on Rostraver Central Fire Department’s social media page said several animals died in the fire.
The fire’s origin was not immediately known, Pergola said. A fire marshal is investigating.
Participating fire crews included Smithton, Turkeytown, Yukon, Rostraver Central, West Newton, East Huntingdon, Mt. Pleasant, Collinsburg, Fort Allen, New Stanton and Fayette County’s Washington Township departments. Rostraver-West Newton EMS also assisted.
Supplying water to put out the fire was the main challenge, Pergola said.
“There’s no hydrants in the area, so we had to rely on tankers,” he said, noting this method requires more firefighters.
The road reopened to traffic about 4:30 p.m., as fire trucks and emergency vehicles left the scene.
The zoo and owner Laurie Salvio had received positive inspection reports from the USDA going back a decade, with only minor items out of compliance over the years.
Salvio owns the business with her husband, Rob.
Critter Country offers individual visits and group events — including birthday and graduation parties, family reunions and field trips, according to its website. It has previously hosted movie nights for the community, according to its social media page.
Quincey Reese and Patrick Varine are TribLive staff writers. Quincey can be reached at qreese@triblive.com. Patrick can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.
