A fire early Friday damaged a wooden frame and wires at Living Treasures Wild Animal Park in Donegal Township, said owner Tom Guiher.

Fire officials confirmed a heating pad in the prairie dog exhibit started the fire. No animals were injured, but the exhibit was damaged, Guiher said. The prairie dogs were moved to a temporary location, he said.

The fire was reported around 2 a.m. by his daughter and son-in-law. After they called the fire department, they called Guiher, who rushed to the site from his Ligonier home.

“I was worried about the animals first and the property second,” he said.

A pair of sloths next door to the exhibit were safely removed while the fire was extinguished.

This isn’t the first fire to break out at the park. A fire damaged a hotel on the property last year. He declined to provide further details on the damage to the building.

In 2014, a fire damaged the home of an on-site park manager, a vacant two-bedroom suite and a storage building full of horse feed. More than 300 animals housed at the park at the time were not injured.

Today, Living Treasures has two locations, one in Jones Mills and another in New Castle.

Repairs will be made to the exhibit and the opening date of March 30 is on schedule, Guiher said.

Chestnut Ridge fire department could not be reached for comment.

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