Number of animals killed in Hertfordshire industrial estate fire
Investigation underway after major blaze destroys building at The Jungle Box industrial unit
Last updated 10th Jun 2026
A number of small animals have died following a major fire at a facility in Buntingford in the early hours of Wednesday morning (10 June).
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to reports of a fire at The Jungle Box, located on Watermill Industrial Estate, at 3.19am.
At the height of the incident, ten fire engines and an aerial ladder platform were deployed as firefighters worked to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to neighbouring units.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Darren Cook praised crews for their response to the incident.
He said:
"In the early hours of this morning we received calls to a significant fire at The Jungle Box in Buntingford. Crews worked hard to contain the fire and prevent it spreading to neighbouring units.
"I'd like to thank all crews for their professionalism and hard work and fire control colleagues for their calm and efficient handling of the calls.
"Sadly, we can confirm that a number of animals were inside the building at the time of the fire and did not survive. An investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway."
Fire officials confirmed that no people were injured in the incident and that nobody was on site when the fire started.
Residents in the surrounding area were advised to keep their windows and doors closed due to the large amount of smoke generated by the blaze.
A fire investigation is now being carried out to determine the cause of the fire.