Nearly 700 reptiles killed in south Edmonton house fire: city

EDMONTON -

Hundreds of reptiles died after a fire at a south Edmonton home on Wednesday, Animal Care and Control officials said.

On Thursday, peace officers with Animal Care and Control obtained a search warrant to locate other animals in the damaged home located in the area of 20 Avenue and 112A Street.

According to Debi Winwood, city spokesperson, approximately 674 animals were located in the home and backyard, including small to medium-sized reptiles like bearded dragons, skinks, salamanders, frogs, snakes, and dozens of arachnids.

Forty unknown reptile eggs were also found dead, Winwood said. One animal was euthanized after a veterinarian assessed its injures.

Thirteen animals were found alive, including 10 tortoises and a gecko, by investigators and were taken to Animal Care and Control Centre for further care and evaluation.

"As this matter is currently under investigation through the provincial Animal Protection Act, we are not able to provide further details at this time," Winwood added.

Peter Daly, Edmonton Reptile and Amphibian Society president, was called to the scene by the city to assist.

He told CTV News that all the animals at the home were legal to own in Canada and posed no harm to people. According to Daly, the homeowner was not a hoarder but bred and sold reptiles.

Daly estimated there were dozens of animals that were killed in the fire. When they first arrived at the scene on Wednesday, firefighters estimated there were 1,000 reptiles in the home.