AUBURN – Nine chickens died after their coop went up in flames about 5 p.m. Thursday at 850 Garfield Road.

Firefighters kept flames from engulfing a nearby home on the property of Misfits Rehab, an animal rescue run by wildlife rehabilitator Jennifer Marchigiani.

An Auburn firefighter suffered a minor injury, fire officials said, but neither of the two people in the nearby home were hurt. Damage to the house was limited to a small area of the attic area.

Investigators expect to know more about what started the fire by the end of the day Friday.

According to a post on the Misfits Rehab Facebook page, all the chickens inside the enclosure died and the building was considered a total loss.

All animals in the house were safe, according to the Misfits Rehab post. As of this summer, there were roughly 40 animals being cared for at the business, including possums, bats, porcupines and skunks.

The fire was reported under control about 5:45 p.m.

Auburn firefighters, contending with two car crashes at the time of the fire, had help from Lewiston fire crews at the scene.

Police blocked off a section of Garfield Road, rerouting traffic down Perkins Ridge Road.

The building that burned was constructed last summer, according to Misfits Rehab. Two hours after the fire was reported, several people had already donated more than $500 to help Marchigiani rebuild.

Marchigiani has been a licensed wildlife rehabilitator since 2002 and has had as many as 50 animals living with her at one time.

Misfits Rehab became an official nonprofit last year. Marchigiani runs the business with a small cadre of dedicated volunteers and relies on money from fundraisers and donations from the public.

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