Special to Lake Okeechobee News
OKEECHOBEE -- Late on the afternoon of Sept. 5, Okeechobee County Fire Rescue crews battled a large barn fire at the Area 51 sanctuary, located off 441N & 344th St in Ft Drum.
Upon arrival, crews were met with heavy flames coming from the roof of the all-wood barn, built with heavy timber. A defensive operation was initiated to prevent the fire from spreading to surrounding structures.
All employees and animals were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported.
A water shuttle operation was established, &
Osceola County Fire Rescue and EMS were called in for assistance. OCFR extends gratitude to the crews of Engine 57 & Tanker 57 for their much-needed help.
Approximately 80,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish the blaze as crews worked for several hours into the night.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal's office.
According to their website, Area 51 Sanctuary is a privately-run animal sanctuary.
"All of our animals have their own unique story as to how they came to the sanctuary, sadly, most had lived their lives in horrid conditions. Our mission at area 51 sanctuary, is to provide the best care possible for all our furry friends. We try to provide the most natural habitats possible.," the website states.
Visitors are allowed by appointment only. For more information, see their website at
area51sanctuary.com.
Animals featured on the website include horses, camels, goats, bison, donkeys, zebras, peacocks, turkeys, ducks, alpacas, pigs, kangaroos, swans, a tortoise and more.
On their Facebook page, Area 51 shared: "Area 51 had a terrible incident. We lost one of our barns in a fire. Luckily, there were no animals living in it at the time and everyone is okay. Thank you to everyone that reached out to ask if they could help or asked if the animals were okay. We greatly appreciate it."
![OKEECHOBEE -- On Sept. 5, Okeechobee County Fire Rescue battled a large barn fire at the Area 51 animal sanctuary in Fort Drum. [Photo courtesy Okeechobee County Fire Rescue]](/uploads/original/20240909-104215-ad2-Area 51 fire Sept 5 pic 1.jpg)
![OKEECHOBEE -- A large barn at the Area 51 Sanctuary in Fort Drum burned on Sept. 5. No animals or people were injured in the blaze. [Photo courtesy Okeechobee County Fire Rescue]](/uploads/original/20240909-104208-30d-Area 51 fire pic 2.jpg)
