At least two large barns were destroyed by a fire Friday morning at the SkyLand Ranch theme park in Sevierville, officials said.
Sevierville Fire Chief Matt Henderson said the fire was reported around 2:21 a.m. (local time) after passersby noticed a glow along the ridge. By the time crews arrived on scene, both barns were fully engulfed in flames, WBIR reported.
Photos from the scene also showed a roller coaster in the park near the flames.
Spanning 100 acres, SkyLand Ranch is a theme park that includes attractions such as a roller coaster and a petting zoo, according to its website.
The animals moved to the children’s zoo park area
Sevierville police officers arrived first and helped evacuate the animals. Henderson added that the park’s owners were out of town at the time of the fire.
The animals are housed in the pet park area and cared for by SkyLane Ranch staff. Henderson said the fire caused the building that houses the animals to lose heat, which is why heaters are being brought in because the cold is a problem.
Fire Chief Matt Henderson said new crews will rotate through the day to extinguish the remaining hotspots. However, access to the site was difficult due to the one-way entrance to the park and limited parking.
Due to the extent of the damage, Henderson said the affected barn will be demolished if it doesn’t collapse on its own.
In a Facebook post, the ranch thanked police and firefighters for their “quick response.”
(This is a developing story. Keep checking back for more updates)