port clinton safari fire

Nearly a dozen animals housed in barn at African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton perish in fire

PORT CLINTON, Ohio — The African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton is mourning the loss of animals it housed in a barn that caught fire Thanksgiving evening.

Firefighters from Danbury Township, Catawba Island and Port Clinton all responded to the blaze.

According to authorities, 10 animals died in the fire. They are: three bongo antelope, three giraffes, three red river hogs and one springbok antelope. A zebra managed to escape the fire.

Park officials and investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office held a news conference to provide an update on the fire. Authorities said they have no indication the fire was caused by any sort of criminal activity.

You can watch the news conference in the player blow.

"We are devastated by this loss," said Holly Hunt, co-owner of the park. "These are animals we care for every day and our team is just devastated."

A giraffe that can be seen galloping around in front of the fire in several videos and photos was in another nearby barn that did not catch fire.

"They let him out of that barn so he would be free in case that barn were to catch on fire and that animal is contained in the park right now," Hunt said.

The animals were inside the heated barn when the fire started, authorities said. The barn where the animals were housed also contained propane tanks. Crews on scene heard explosions and fire officials said the sound was likely from propane tanks, but they are still investigating.

The barn was built in the 1980s and did not have a fire suppression system. It did, however, have remote sensors for temperature control, Hunt said.

The following animals were killed in the fire, according to Hunt:

• Waylon- a 3-year-old giraffe
• Quinn- a 1.5-year-old giraffe
• Beltry- a 2.5 year-old giraffe which arrived earlier this week
• Chip- a spring buck which resided on the property since 2015
• Diesel- a bongo which resided on the property since 2010
• Benty- a 5-year-old female bongo expected to give birth this spring
• Tank - a 15-year-old bongo and staff favorite
• Three red river hogs: Merlin, male hog which has resided on the property since 2012 and his two unnamed sisters who arrived earlier this week

On Thursday night, park officials took to Facebook to talk about the loss.

"We are grateful that our staff is safe and no one was injured, but the loss of the wildlife that we care for every day is tragic for our team members who love these animals," park officials said.

The park, which opened in 1969, was taken over by the Hunt family in 1974. Today, Holly Hunt and her father Brian run the park.

Holly Hunt called the incident a devastating loss. "It's gut-wrenching that this could happen," she said.

Grief counseling will be provided for staff members who are grieving the death of the park's animals.

AirTracker 5 flew over the park Friday morning to survey the aftermath of the fire:

African Safari Wildlife Park is located at 267 S. Lightner Rd. in Port Clinton. It houses over 300 other animals, including deer, bison, elk, llamas, alpacas, camels and zebra, Hunt said.

The park is closed on Friday. It was scheduled to close for the season Sunday.

Before re-opening next spring, the staff is considering dedicating a plaque in remembrance of the animals killed.

Below are images of the types of animals that were killed in the fire - these are not images of the animals themselves:

An inspection report filed in June showed the park was in good standing with the United States Department of Agriculture.

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10 animals killed in fire at northern Ohio wildlife park

Ten animals died in a fire Thursday night at a wildlife park in northern Ohio, the park's owner said.

Holly Hunt, the owner of African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton, in Ottawa County along Lake Erie, said three bongos, three giraffes, three red river hogs and a springbok were killed in the fire in a barn used for overnight care and security. Bongos and springboks are species of antelope.

A zebra that was housed in an overhang outside the barn was saved, said Hunt, but all of the park's 300 others animals, including deer, bison, elk, llamas, giraffes and alpacas, were safe. The park was closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, and no human injuries were reported.

A giraffe widely seen fleeing the fire on social media hadn't been in the barn, Hunt said. It was freed to escape the flames and ran into a pond, from which animal keepers and doctors were able to direct it to safety, she said.

"It's just gut-wrenching that this should happen," she said. "Our team works so hard every day to care for these animals."

Rick Ramos, a safety officer for the Port Clinton Fire Department, said that the fire was reported at 6:18 p.m. and that the barn was already fully engulfed when crews arrived about five minutes later.

The fire was still burning late Thursday but was under control, he said. No cause had been determined, he said. Several fire departments remained on the scene late in the evening, and investigators from the state fire marshal's office were scheduled to arrive in the morning.

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Danbury Township police Officer Carolyn DeMore, one of the first responders on the scene, said that after she arrived, she heard two explosions from inside the barn. Ramos said the explosions likely were caused by propane tanks stored in the barn.

Hunt said that she had owned the park, which opened in 1969, since 1974.

"We are devastated by this loss of the animals we care for every day," she said, appearing to choke back tears. "The team is just devastated."

Investigators say cause of deadly fire at African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton is “undetermined”

PORT CLINTON, Ohio (WOIO) - Investigators with the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Fire and Explosion Bureau announced Wednesday the cause of the fire at the African Safari Wildlife Park is “undetermined", due to the extensive damage to the barn.

Investigators added there is no indication of criminal activity and they could not determine if a power outage the day before had anything to do with the fire.

A total of 10 animals were in the barn that caught fire at 6:16 p.m. on Nov. 28.

Three giraffes, three red river hogs, three bongos and a springbok were killed.

No other animals in the park were harmed.

“The post-fire condition of the building prevented the ability to determine an exact cause of the fire,” said Investigator Frank Reitmeier. “During the fire, the vast majority of the building collapsed, so heavy equipment was needed during fire suppression and to locate the remains of the animals that perished.”

African Safari Wildlife Park posted this devastating statement on Facebook about two hours after the fire broke out:

"Our African Safari Wildlife Park team is devastated by the loss of animals housed in a barn destroyed by fire that was discovered early Thanksgiving evening. We are grateful that our staff is safe and no one was injured, but the loss of the wildlife that we care for every day is tragic for our team members who love these animals.

We are still assessing the loss of wildlife that was housed in the barn for over-night care and security.

Park staff members are on the scene with firefighters and official responders. An investigation is underway into the cause of the fire.

The animals lost in this tragedy were part of our African Safari family, and the Park will be closed on Friday as we mourn their loss and care for the other animals living on the 100-area Park.

We deeply appreciate the first responders who worked on the holiday to try and save animals affected by the fire and thank the community for its support during this very difficult time.

Again, we are grateful that our staff are safe, although we are all grief-stricken over this loss."

The African Safari Wildlife Park’s website said the park is home to alpaca, bactrian camel, bison, bongo, elk, fallow deer, giraffe, guanaco, llama, red river hog, Scottish highlander, sika deer, sulcata tortoise, warthog, white alligator, white bison, white-handed gibbons, and zebra.

Barn housing animals at African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton goes up in flames on Thanksgiving The African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton is mourning the loss of 10 animals after their barn went up in flames on Thanksgiving night. https://bit.ly/2OUwWtd Posted by Cleveland 19 News on Thursday, November 28, 2019

An African Safari Wildlife Park official said the park will remain closed through the winter.

Copyright 2019 WOIO. All rights reserved.

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Nearly a dozen animals housed in barn at African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton perish in fire

The African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton is mourning the loss of animals it housed in a barn that caught fire Thanksgiving evening.

Firefighters from Danbury Township, Catawba Island and Port Clinton all responded to the blaze.

According to authorities, 10 animals died in the fire. They are: three bongo antelope, three giraffes, three red river hogs and one springbok antelope. A zebra managed to escape the fire.

Park officials and investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office held a news conference to provide an update on the fire. Authorities said they have no indication the fire was caused by any sort of criminal activity.

You can watch the news conference in the player blow.

"We are devastated by this loss," said Holly Hunt, co-owner of the park. "These are animals we care for every day and our team is just devastated."

A giraffe that can be seen galloping around in front of the fire in several videos and photos was in another nearby barn that did not catch fire.

"They let him out of that barn so he would be free in case that barn were to catch on fire and that animal is contained in the park right now," Hunt said.

The animals were inside the heated barn when the fire started, authorities said. The barn where the animals were housed also contained propane tanks. Crews on scene heard explosions and fire officials said the sound was likely from propane tanks, but they are still investigating.

The barn was built in the 1980s and did not have a fire suppression system. It did, however, have remote sensors for temperature control, Hunt said.

The following animals were killed in the fire, according to Hunt:

• Waylon- a 3-year-old giraffe
• Quinn- a 1.5-year-old giraffe
• Beltry- a 2.5 year-old giraffe which arrived earlier this week
• Chip- a spring buck which resided on the property since 2015
• Diesel- a bongo which resided on the property since 2010
• Benty- a 5-year-old female bongo expected to give birth this spring
• Tank - a 15-year-old bongo and staff favorite
• Three red river hogs: Merlin, male hog which has resided on the property since 2012 and his two unnamed sisters who arrived earlier this week

On Thursday night, park officials took to Facebook to talk about the loss.

"We are grateful that our staff is safe and no one was injured, but the loss of the wildlife that we care for every day is tragic for our team members who love these animals," park officials said.

The park, which opened in 1969, was taken over by the Hunt family in 1974. Today, Holly Hunt and her father Brian run the park.

Holly Hunt called the incident a devastating loss. "It's gut-wrenching that this could happen," she said.

Grief counseling will be provided for staff members who are grieving the death of the park's animals.

AirTracker 5 flew over the park Friday morning to survey the aftermath of the fire:

African Safari Wildlife Park is located at 267 S. Lightner Rd. in Port Clinton. It houses over 300 other animals, including deer, bison, elk, llamas, alpacas, camels and zebra, Hunt said.

The park is closed on Friday. It was scheduled to close for the season Sunday.

Before re-opening next spring, the staff is considering dedicating a plaque in remembrance of the animals killed.

Below are images of the types of animals that were killed in the fire - these are not images of the animals themselves:

An inspection report filed in June showed the park was in good standing with the United States Department of Agriculture.

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Giraffes among 10 animals killed in 'tragic' Ohio safari wildlife park fire

DANBURY TOWNSHIP, Ohio – Ten animals were killed on Thanksgiving evening in a barn fire at an Ohio wildfire park, officials said.

Three giraffes, three red river hogs, three bongos and a springbok where listed as the animals who died, according to Holly Hunt, a co-owner of African Safari Wildlife Park.

Bongos are a large antelope species, while a springbok is a medium-size antelope.

"Our African Safari Wildlife Park team is devastated by the loss of animals housed in a barn destroyed by fire that was discovered early Thanksgiving evening," the Facebook post said. "We are grateful that our staff is safe and no one was injured, but the loss of the wildlife that we care for every day is tragic for our team members who love these animals."

Due to the fire, the safari will be closed Friday as staff mourn the loss of the wildlife.

The company said in its Facebook post that officials are still assessing the damage, but reported the fire occurred in a barn used for overnight care and security for the animals.

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A cause of the fire has not been determined. The social media post said an investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the fire.

Dispatchers from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office told the News Herald Thursday the fire was reported by citizens and that Danbury Township Fire Department, Port Clinton Fire Department and Catawba Fire provided mutual aid.

The park features a total of more than 50 species of animals during the summer.

The amusement park offers drive an drive-through tours of the safari with animals such as giraffes, elk, camels and zebras, with walk-through tours and educational feedings of animals such as porcupine, kangaroo, tortoise, and gibbons.

In its 51st season, the safari park has rare creatures such as white bison and albino alligators.

Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the park features a total of more than 50 species of animals during the summer.

An estimated 150,000 people come to the 100-acre park annually, making it one of the largest attractions in the area, according to park officials.

African Safari Wildlife Park had been planning a special discount admission for Black Friday and was scheduled to close for the season on Sunday.

Follow Craig Shoup on Twitter: @CraigShoupNH

African Safari Wildlife Park fire investigation finished, cause still 'undetermined'

by NBC 24 Staff

PORT CLINTON, Ohio — The investigation into the deadly Thanksgiving Day fire at the African Safari Wildlife Park is complete and the cause cannot be determined.

The State Fire Marshal Fire & Explosion Investigation Bureau said there was too much damage from the fire and roof collapse.

Investigators did confirm that the fire started from the southwest area of the barn.

All 10 animals housed in that barn died, including three giraffes, three red river hogs, three bongos and one springbok.

There was no indication of criminal activity. Investigators could not determine whether there was any connection to the reported Nov. 27 power outage.

Things To Do | Dinosaurs returning to African Safari Wildlife…

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Things to do | dinosaurs returning to african safari wildlife park in port clinton.

More than 20 moving, roaring, life-sized prehistoric creatures are returning to Port Clinton as part of Dinosaur Takeover, returning April 27 to African Safari Wildlife Park , according to a news release.

Highlights include fan favorites like triceratops and stegosaurus, the carnivorous australovenator and allosaurus, and a 40-foot-long tyrannosaurus rex, all scattered throughout the Park’s Walk-Thru Safari, 267 S. Lightner Road in Port Clinton, the release said.

Dinosaur enthusiasts can pose for photos in larger-than-life eggs and pick up an educational scavenger hunt in the Safari Gift Shop, the release said.

As part of the park’s mission to promote an appreciation for all living things, visitors will learn about the conservation challenges faced by today’s wildlife and how the park is helping to prevent extinction in the 21st century, according to the release.

“Dinosaur Takeover was a huge hit last summer and added another level of excitement to the guest experience,” said park director Kelsey Keller in the release. “It’s a real ‘blast from the past.’”

Dinosaur Takeover is included with general admission and runs daily through Labor Day.

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Michigan man charged in deadly business explosion was fleeing to Hong Kong, police say

By Joseph Buczek , Gino Vicci

Updated on: April 26, 2024 / 5:40 PM EDT / CBS Detroit

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) —  A  Commerce man facing manslaughter charges  in connection with a  deadly, massive explosion at a Clinton Township business in March had a one-way ticket to Hong Kong before being arrested, police say. 

Clinton Township and Macomb County officials held a press conference Friday morning to discuss the charges and investigation of Noor Kestou, 31, the owner of the building and business, Goo, that  exploded on March 4  due to thousands of nitrous oxide and butane cans that were stored inside the business. 

"I promised we would find what, how and why this happened and today we're a couple steps closer," said Bob Cannon, Clinton Township Supervisor. 

Cannon said it has been a top priority among city officials, police and fire investigators to get to the bottom of the deadly explosion that caused so much damage to nearby businesses and killed one innocent bystander. 

A 19-year-old man,  Turner Salter , died after being struck in the head by a piece of  shrapnel a quarter mile from the scene . A firefighter was also taken to an area hospital for minor injuries.

Law enforcement officials said Friday that they received information on Saturday, April 20, that Kestou was scheduled to depart from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Hong Kong that evening. The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office issued an arrest warrant, and Kestou was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the New York Port Authority without incident. 

"So at this time, the charge of involuntary manslaughter, a 15-year felony, is the highest charge, the highest charge that could be levied," said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido. 

Kestou was taken into custody by Macomb County detectives on Wednesday, April 24. 

Kestou waived his extradition hearing, was arraigned Thursday, and was issued a $500,000 bond. 

Lucido said Kestou posted the cash bond and must wear a GPS tether, surrender his passport, not leave the state or have weapons if he posts bail. 

Clinton Township officials recently concluded a portion of  an investigation into the explosion . 

"Our hearts ache for the family and loved ones of the young man whose life was tragically cut short by this devastating explosion. We are steadfast in our commitment to pursuing justice and holding the individual accountable for their actions," Lucido said. 

A probable cause hearing is scheduled for May 7.

• Clinton Township

Joe Buczek is the manager of digital content and promotion at CBS News Detroit. He previously worked at WWTV, the Grand Traverse Insider, the Leader and the Kalkaskian, the Oakland Press and the Morning Sun.

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