A fire that broke out in the basement of a Stevensville home operating as an animal sanctuary claimed the lives of some 30 cats early Sunday afternoon.

The call to the fire at Happy Days Sanctuary on Burger Road came shortly after 12:30 p.m.

Fort Erie Fire and Emergency Services chief Mark Schmitt said the fire started in the utility room and is believed to have been caused by a mechanical failure of some kind.

Located on 14 hectares in Stevensville, the sanctuary provides shelter, medical care and permanent homes for dogs, cats, goats, horses and other animals left behind in a crisis.

Schmitt said some of the animals in the home were undergoing treatment or were disabled and thus unable to get out on their own.

“Unfortunately there were a number of cats involved that perished,” he sa

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