Ashaway: 80 Parrots Dead In Fire at Hopkinton Bird Sanctuary

HOPKINTON — Crews this morning responded to 87 Woodville Alton Road for a three-alarm fire at a bird sanctuary. Heavy fire through the roof of a building was reported shortly after 6 a.m.

The fire was at Foster Parrots and The New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary. Foster Parrots describes itself as a leading avian rescue organization. It was founded in 1999 as one of the first parrot rescue organizations in the country.

"Our 25,000 square-foot facility features large indoor/outdoor aviaries designed to accommodate and encourage natural behaviors like flight, foraging, playful interaction and social bonding," Foster Parrots states.

The Ashaway fire chief said that a quarter of the building burned down and around 80 birds died.

Fire departments with tankers responded from multiple communities. This morning the State Fire Marshal was on the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The bird sanctuary in Rhode Island's Hope Valley is located at the former Chickadee Farms across the road from Wood River Golf.