Seventeen pets were killed after a fire broke out at a pet hotel for cats in Los Angeles on Saturday, officials in California said.

Over 100 firefighters responded to the emergency call about a fire at a strip mall on West Venice Boulevard around 5.44am Saturday, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement.

Tragically, only two of the cats boarding at CatPlaceLA, the feline boarding facility, were able to be saved by firefighters. A total of 19 cats were boarding at the pet hotel at the time of the blaze.

‘While two of the cats were safely resuscitated by firefighters and soon transported to emergency veterinary care, 17 others were sadly beyond medical help and perished at the scene,’ Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Brian Humphrey told ABC News.

‘Our notion is that the animals all perished as a result of smoke exposure,’ he said.

About a dozen businesses, including the cat hotel were part of strip of commercial businesses. In addition to the pet hotel, several other businesses including a nail salon, smoke shop, martial arts studio and a staffing agency, caught aflame.

Firefighters were able to contain the massive blaze to about seven of the 12 businesses. Five of the shops were completely gutted due to the heavy flames.

None of the businesses had sprinklers inside, according to fire officials.

Massive amounts of smoke made for an intense firefight that resulted in one firefighter being taken to a nearby hospital to treat non life-threatening injuries.

It took over an hour to put out the flames. No civilians were hurt in the blaze.

The cause of the fire remains unclear, and the case is still under investigation.

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