300 rare, endangered tortoises die in barn fire

More than 300 rare and endangered tortoises perished in a barn fire Tuesday, said the owner of Blake’s Exotic Animal Ranch in Southwest Ranches.

Goats, donkeys and a pig escaped the blaze, which broke out shortly before 2:30 p.m. and destroyed the wooden barn. Inside were three tanks and a large pond filled with rare and exotic fish.

No people were injured. Blake Kaldirimoglu said he had just left his property at 17450 SW 46th St. amid a lightning storm to go for lunch when a neighbor called to tell him his barn was ablaze. By the time he rushed back there was little that could be done.

“I wasn’t able to get there in time. The flames were too big,” Kaldirimoglu said. “It all happened in a matter of 10 minutes.”

Firefighters from Davie, the Broward Sheriff’s Office and volunteers from Southwest Ranches joined together to fight the blaze, said Battalion Chief Daniel Moran, of Davie Fire Rescue Department.

“The personnel encountered difficulty accessing the structure and drafted water from nearby fire wells,” Moran said. “We are saddened to report the barn did contain many types of livestock and some exotic animals … some animals did escape on their own prior to our arrival.”

Kaldirimoglu blames a lightning strike for causing the fire but officials said it remains under investigation. First step in the recovery process, Kaldirimoglu said, was to “tear my barn down and start over.”