Dallas firefighter and paramedic Paulo Bicahlo and his crew sprang into action to rescue animals from a pet store at Plaza Latina shopping mall after a fire broke out on Friday. Despite their valiant efforts,

A structure fire that erupted at a Dallas shopping center Friday morning killed over 500 animals, most of which were small birds, according to authorities.

As a Dallas firefighter and paramedic, Paulo Bicahlo is trained and ready to rescue people. But when smoke from a fire at the Plaza Latina mall reached a pet store there Friday, he and his crew jumped in to help what animals they could.

A Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson says in a statement that the 579 animals in the pet shop at Plaza Latina in Northwest Dallas died from smoke inhalation Friday morning.

Dallas authorities are investigating what caused a fire that burned a Dallas shopping center Friday morning and killed more than 500 animals. CW39's Sharron Melton explains.