Pet cemetery in West Miami-Dade goes up in flames

WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Firefighters have contained a massive fire that broke out at a pet cemetery in West Miami-Dade.

Twenty-four Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the first alarm blaze at The Pet Loss Center of Miami along West Flagler Street, near 109th Avenue, just after 9:30 p.m., Tuesday.

Crews arrived to find flames coming from the roof of the structure.

The pet cemetery is located near several businesses, including a gas station and restaurants, so there were many witnesses who watched as crews battled the flames.

A man said the flames coming from the roof got as high as the tops of several trees near the structure.

“I mean, this is crazy. I’ve never seen this before, like here,” said a man. “We don’t even know how it started, because at this time, I don’t think nobody should be working there, like, to be that big of a fire.”

“It’s actually kinda sad ’cause now that people that had the animals, I don’t know what they’re gonna do,” said a woman. “It’s really sad seeing that burn down.”

Officials said a ruptured gas line made it difficult for crews to fight the inferno, but they have since been able to shut it off.

Just after 11:20 p.m., officials tweeted that the fire was “under control.”

No injuries were reported.

On Wednesday morning, pet owner Demaris Gantarillas stopped by the cemetery after receiving a call from employees that they had picked up her dead cat’s body.

She was going to pick up the ashes of her 18-year-old cat, Misty, later Wednesday.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with my pet,” said Gantarillas. “That’s pretty much what I need to know. It’s just sad, you know, just very sad news.”

Maria Amador said her English bulldog, Princesa, was cremated at the cemetery two years ago, and her ashes were scattered in a garden near the back of the property.

“There’s a lot of people who have their pets buried in there, or they know their ashes are there, so it’s devastating,” said Amador. “It was devastating not to be able to see them again. I don’t know if they’re going to rebuild. This is shocking. I would go there and feel the presence of my dog. I passed by there last week.”

Employees at the cemetery said they have temporarily moved their operations elsewhere and have spent the morning calling pet owners to inform them of what happened.

The Pet Loss Center of Miami released the following statement on Wednesday afternoon:

“On Tuesday, July 2 around 9:30 p.m. the Pet Loss Center of Miami (previously known as Pet Heaven) experienced a devastating fire. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the fire, and the cemetery was not impacted. However, the full extent of the damage is not yet known. We are cooperating with local officials to determine the cause of the fire and appreciate their quick action to get the fire under control.”

The building has been classified as a total loss.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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