According to a Woodland Park Zoo press release on Thursday, December 15th, at approximately 3:15p, fire broke out in the currently closed Night Exhibit. Seattle Fire Department and the Zoo’s Emergency Team quickly responded, and the fire was contained by 4:30p.
Zoo visitors were safely evacuated at 3:35p (the Zoo closes at 4p in the winter months,) and no staff or visitors were injured.
Early indications were that no animals were harmed, as the Exhibit had been closed since 2010, unfortunately it was later discovered that six small turtles had been in a special hibernation chamber in the building’s basement, where SFD have indicated the fire initiated. The condition on the turtles is unknown at this time, however a Zoo statement released by the Zoo’s general curator, Nancy Hawkes, PhD, read, “Sadly, it is highly likely that six turtles hibernating in this room have perished in the fire.”
The safety of the animals and guests is Woodland Park’s number one priority. The nightly Wildlights Holiday Festival was cancelled on Thursday night, and will re-open tonight. The Zoo will open today at 11a.
In the meantime, Zoo staff retrieved all animals from the adjacent Day Exhibit, which houses reptiles, amphibians and a tree kangaroo, and had filled with smoke from the fire next door. These temperature sensitive animals have been relocated to safe and appropriate accommodations elsewhere on the campus.
At this time, the cause of the fire is still unknown and the site has been monitored, by Seattle Fire Department staff, overnight.
Find more up-to-date information on the fire, and the plans already in place to replace the Night Exhibit, on the Woodland Park Zoo website. Those who can support the Zoo’s recovery effort, and care of the repitiles and amphibians, can do so through the Zoo.org/donate page