32 cats and one dog die in Long Beach apartment fire

Dozens of cats and one dog died when a fire erupted Sunday morning in an apartment complex in Long Beach.

The Long Beach Fire Department responded to calls of a fire at a three-story apartment building in the 3500 block of Linden Avenue about 7:30 a.m. Firefighters extinguished the flames seven minutes later, Long Beach Fire Capt. Jack Crabtree said. It was not immediately clear how long the fire burned before firefighters were able to tackle it.

In all, 32 cats and one dog succumbed to the fire. The resident of the apartment was not home at the time. She told authorities that the animals did not belong to her and were planned for adoption, Crabtree said.

Residents said that smoke spilled into the apartment building’s hallway. The fire was contained to the single apartment unit, which was significantly damaged. No other occupants were affected.

The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, Crabtree said.

Long Beach Animal Services, which Crabtree said assisted and handled the animals after the fire was put out, was not available for comment on whether there were other animals inside the unit that were saved.

It was not clear how old the animals were. The city of Long Beach allows no more than four weaned pets at one site, with some exceptions.