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VIDEO: Indiana firefighters save raccoons from warehouse fire

Posted at 12:13 PM, Aug 06, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-06 12:16:01-04

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Firefighters in South Bend, Indiana, saved a pair of raccoons from a warehouse fire that started Sunday night.

The raccoons were stuck on the roof of the warehouse when the fire broke out, but the ladders set up by firefighters allowed them to escape the smoke.

Video posted by the South Bend Fire Department shows two ladders propped against a warehouse on Calvert and Franklin streets in South Bend. The raccoons can be seen safely descending as kids watching nearby erupt into cheers as the two furry creatures leap to the ground.

The structure fire started Sunday night but hot spots reignited it Monday, according to WSBT . One firefighter was treated for minor heat-related injuries.

"Some people would ask, 'Why save the raccoons?' Life safety and property conservation are two priorities on a fire scene," the South Bend Police Department said in a Facebook post about the raccoon rescue. "Thanks to our crews for taking a few minutes to let the raccoons escape!"