Firefighters have rescued a menagerie of more than 70 pets from a house fire in the US city of Cincinnati.

When officers arrived at the home they found dozens of animals - including 18 rats, 12 rabbits, a hedgehog and a chinchilla - inside.

Most of the animal survived, though one iguana and a couple of cats died.

Owner Nikki Hagaman was not at home when the fire started. She told reporters she works at a nearby pet store that also serves as an animal rescue.

She said she has at least 77 pets and cannot say no when it comes to providing a home for animals.