By Steve Klamkin WPRO News

A pre-dawn fire tore through a Hopkinton bird sanctuary on Thursday, claiming about 80 parrots, while hundreds more birds were spared, according to fire officials.

No people or firefighters were hurt battling the fire, which began around 6:00 A.M. at Fosters Parrots off Woodville Alton Road in Hopkinton and quickly went to four alarms, said Ashaway Fire Department Deputy Chief Todd Allen.

“We believe there was approximately 80 birds in that section of the building that are deceased,” said Allen. “The roof did collapse in that area and the remaining three quarters of the building is fine, all the birds are fine in that area.”

As fire crews from 12 to 15 surrounding fire districts mopped up, volunteers from throughout the area, including wildlife biologists descended on the sanctuary to help care for and feed the surviving birds, estimated by Allen in the hundreds.

He said the State Fire Marshal’s office investigators would try to determine the cause of the fire, adding crews were hampered by high winds and a lack of hydrants in the area, saying water had to be trucked to the scene.