Fire Erupts Near Zoo; Animals Evacuated

A wildfire that began just outside the city zoo Saturday forced officials to evacuate about 2,000 visitors and move 30 animals to safety.

Zoo workers wearing bandannas over their faces against the smoke bundled slow-moving tortoises into makeshift stretchers and scrambled to save koala bears, kangaroos and other animals as flames moved into the MetroZoo area.

Zoo spokesman Ron Magill said smoke and panic were the greatest dangers to the animals. He said frightened animals could hurt themselves by running into fences.

“They’re going to kill themselves by doing that,” Magill said. “We’re really concerned about the entire collection.”

Workers moved many animals into the zoo’s hospital or into trailers.

The zoo in suburban Dade County will remain closed today while the animals are moved back to their homes, Magill said.

Helicopters dropped water on the flames and fire officials said the blaze was contained by nightfall. No injuries were reported.

The fire, which began near MetroZoo’s southeastern section, burned about 100 of the zoo’s 740 acres, said Magill. It scorched hundreds of acres outside the zoo boundaries.

“Fortunately, there were no injuries, no loss of life, just a lot of stress. The potential for tragedy was definitely there,” he said, adding that the zoo lost about $10,000 in ticket sales and other revenue.

Officials were still investigating the fire. Magill said state forestry investigators told him it was sparked by a campfire outside the zoo.

“With this wind, and the dry tinder that we have . . . it just went up in a heartbeat,” Magill said.

The only other time the $23-million zoo was shut down in its 15 years was after Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Magill said.