Ten lambs and two goats die in fire at popular petting zoo: ‘Devastated’ owners reveal blaze was ignited by heat lamps that were keeping animals warm at night

Animal lovers were left horrified when ten lambs and two goats were killed after a fire at a popular petting zoo.

Piglets Adventure Farm, near York, said it was “absolutely devastated” by the news as it revealed the tragedy on social media the day after the fire, which started early on Sunday morning.

They revealed brave staff battled the heat to save as many animals as possible – but were unable to save small farm animals closest to the fire, who perished from inhalation of smoke.

In a statement on Facebook, the farm said: “We are absolutely devastated to share some incredibly sad news with our friends and visitors.

“In the early hours of Sunday morning we tragically lost 10 of our beloved pet lambs and 2 of our adorable goats to smoke inhalation from a small fire.

“As you can imagine, we are all completely devastated and in shock at this terrible loss.

“We have a very close bond with our animals, so this has been a very difficult and traumatic time for our team.”

The attraction, which welcomes thousands of visitors each year, said the “small” fire was started by a heat lamp used to keep lambs warm at night.

It is expected to open today, after closing Monday and Tuesday. Their livestock include curly-tailed pigs, ponies and chickens as well as lambs and goats.

They continued: “We are very grateful to our barn manager, Heidi, and our manager Ed, who managed to save the lives of all our other animals in the barn, safely stopping the spread of the virus. ‘fire.

“We just can’t thank them enough. Without their quick thinking and calm response, the situation could have been much worse.”

“The fire was started by a heat lamp which was used to keep the lambs warm at night.

“While the fire was discovered and extinguished very quickly by Heidi and Ed, unfortunately our poor lambs and goats closest to the fire had already suffered smoke inhalation.”

In response to the news, Adventure Park fans gathered around the business to share their horror.

Shelly Watson, from nearby Hornsea, said: “I’m so sorry to hear your sad news. I can’t imagine how devastated you all are.

“We were just feeding them a few weeks ago and they were such adorable little characters. Heartbreaking news.

Another petting zoo, The Watering Hole Farm, shared its condolences to the heartbroken business, commenting: “We are so sorry to hear about the fire.

“We know that the bond you have with your pets means they are an extension of your family. I am thinking of you at this difficult time.

Mother Jen Slater shared, “It’s tragic. Big kisses to you all. We have been visiting for a long time and we see how much you all care about your animals.

Another visitor, Marie Thorpe, added: “Little lambs are my daughter-in-law’s favorite things when we come to visit. Sorry for your loss.

“We hope to come and see your lovely pets over the Easter holidays.”

And animal lover Ruth Armstrong added: “Aaww, this is so sad. We only saw them a few weeks ago and the goats didn’t want me to stop paying attention to them and complained every time I walked away. RIP little ones.

Speaking to MailOnline, Piglets Adventure Farm said: “Our Piglets team are absolutely overwhelmed by all the messages of support, help and kindness we have received from our visitors and friends following the release of the statement.

“We still feel completely devastated and shaken by the incident, so our current focus is on supporting our team and working to ensure we are ready to reopen today to welcome families back in time for the busy holiday period Easter.”