All Safe! Firefighters Kept Flames At Maine Wildlife Park From Spreading Or Injuring Employees Or Animals

Firefighters managed to keep both people and animals at a wildlife park in Gray, Maine, safe after a fire broke out at the facility Thursday evening.

According to the folks at the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, who issued a statement on their Facebook page assuring everyone that both the staff and the animals at the park were all safe and accounted for, but that the fire did damage a shed on the property.

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"We want to share an update with our community following a structure fire that occurred last night involving our workshop building, located behind the park. The building is used to store tools and equipment and serves as a workspace for staff projects related to park infrastructure and maintenance...The cause of the fire is not known at this time and will be investigated by the Fire Marshal’s Office."

Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety says the fire began just before 11 PM Thursday. The Maine Warden Service was called to assist and the State Fire Marshal was called in to investigating the incident.

"During the morning of January 9, 2026, Investigators from the Office of State Fire Marshal along with personnel from the Maine Fuel Board and Electricians’ Examination Board returned to the scene to investigate the fire. Investigators were unable to determine an exact cause of the fire but believe it was accidental, likely the result of electrical malfunction from multiple possible sources."

WGME reported that a worker at the park heard a loud noise about the time the fire started.

"According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, a Maine Wildlife Park employee who lives on the park grounds heard an explosion and reported that a fire broke out in one of the buildings around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday."

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Park officials expressed their gratitude to the firefighters and EMS from multiple agencies who worked so diligently to keep the animals safe and the fire from spreading. Management also expressed its gratitude to those who have reached out with concern and generous offers of support.