Four people were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation after a fire that erupted in a garbage truck spread to the side and back roof of a building in Oro-Medonte that houses Shanty Bay Automotive, a woodworking shop and Street Cats Animal Rescue (SCAR).
Crews were called to the address on Shanty Bay Road at Colborne Street, near Barrie, just before noon.
Fire Chief Hugh Murray tells Barrie 360 that the four people who suffered smoke inhalation were trying to remove cats from the building.
The fire on the roof was quickly extinguished.
All 50 cats were rescued from SCAR, though several were sent to local vets for assessment.
Shelter executive director Carol Snow says currently they are accepting financial donations only via e-transfer - StreetCatsRescue@hotmail.com.
Snow says they do not have access to the building.
Fire officials say the blaze caused between $80,000 and $100,000.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Images by Michael Chorney - At the Scene Photography
