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Crews searching the scene for potential victims found a pet alligator inside a fish tank with "green slime."
The fire department called the Red Paw Relief Team, a nonprofit emergency response team specializing in animal rescues, but the group said it is unable to assist in situations involving illegal animals, such as alligators.
"Hey @ACCTPhilly, @PhillyFireDept just called us for an alligator displaced by a fire. We deferred to you guys!" the group tweeted.
The Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia confirmed it sent officers to the scene.
"Just after 8:30 p.m., we received a request from Red Paw asking us to handle a case where the fire department was responding to a fire and as they knocked down the fire police entered the home only to find an alligator in a home," the group said in a statement to KYW-TV. "The police called Red Paw and Red Paw deferred the call to us."
Firefighters said two people were taken to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries believed to be minor burns and smoke-related injuries.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.