UPDATE 7:15 a.m.: Rockerville, S.D. — The Rockerville Volunteer Fire Department was paged out to a fire at Reptile Gardens at about 12:40 Friday morning.
There, they found an active fire burning in a detached agriculture shelter that is not part of the public areas. Firefighters faced heavy fire and smoke conditions with flames extending into the ceiling and roof of the building.
4/5: The Rockerville Volunteer Fire Department responded to a structure fire on the grounds of Reptile Gardens
Rockerville VFD
Almost a dozen agencies responded, including the Hill City VFD, Whispering Pines VFD, Rapid City Fire Department, Battle Creek VFD, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Pennington County Emergency Management, Pennington County 911, the South Dakota Fire Marshal’s Office, Black Hills Energy, and Montana Dakota Utilities. Their quick response kept the fire from spreading to any other buildings or vegetation.
A number of tortoises and alligators died as a result of the fire, but as of sunrise Friday, the exact number was not known.
No firefighters or civilians were injured.
Reptile Gardens closed for the day Friday due to the fire.
This is a developing story. Check back throughout the day for updates.
At 12:40 AM on Friday morning, a structure fire was reported at Reptile Gardens. By 5 AM, Officials told NewsCenter1 that the fire was contained, but not completely out. Crews are currently still on scene as of 5:30 AM. The cause of the fire is still currently under investigation. NewsCenter1 will continue to report the latest details as we get more information.
Aaron grew up in Farmington Minnesota, just south of the Twin Cities. He went to college in Orlando Florida at Full Sail University studying sports broadcasting.
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