Fire In Downtown Mendota, IL Rips Through Pet Shop, Killing Hundreds Of Animals

A fire broke out at Mendota's pet store, killing hundreds of animals.

A blaze Friday morning in Mendota, Illinois, destroyed several storefronts and a downtown pet store and killed hundreds of animals, according to Mendota firefighters.

The fire started in an upstairs apartment on the 700th block of Illinois Avenue and spread to several neighboring houses.

Authorities say apartments above businesses were also destroyed. None of the residents were hurt.

Several vacant stores were damaged, with a neighboring pet store suffering the most damage. The firemen say it's a total loss.

Jennifer Sibley and Chandra Kearns cling to hope just hours after a fire at the Fin Fur Feather pet store claimed the lives of hundreds of pets.

"We couldn't save everything, but we saved what we could," Sibley said.

RELATED: New Life at Christ Maywood Church Seeks Progress After Devastating Fire

The women are planning to open a new pet store after merging their separate stores some time ago. The store was planned to sell rabbits, fish, guinea pigs, birds and reptiles, as well as pet food.

“We weren't your average pet store,” Kearns said. “You entered. It was a local pet store where you could sit and chat.”

The fire broke out on Thursday evening in the 700 block of Illinois Avenue, home to about 7,000 people. Mendota is located 90 miles southwest of Chicago in LaSalle County.

“I got a call from a friend,” Sibley said. “I wanted to lie down, and he said that the store was on fire ... I took my coat, ran out barefoot, got into the car. I live four blocks from here, and it's already shrouded in smoke and flames. "

Firefighters from several neighboring states have been fighting the blaze since Friday morning. Crews even tore down a vacant building owned by the city to stop the fire from spreading.

While several animals were rescued, the store's mascots Lucy and Mango, and a turtle named Lil Foot were among the many lost pets.

“It’s terrible to lose things like that,” said Andora Kearns, the daughter of one of the store’s owners. “All your hard work is gone. These are your family members, they are family to us. "Animals are our source of livelihood."

According to city officials, this is the second fire in the city center in recent times. In August last year, a fire destroyed the windows of several stores.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established. Meanwhile, pet shop owners promise to rehabilitate him.