What began as a routine drug certificate ended in chaos at the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter in Billings, Montana. FBI agents brought two pounds seized methamphetamine to the plant’s incineration system. Instead of airing outside, smoke drove back into the shelter and filled times and animal rooms. Fourteen employees were taken to the hospital after inhaling the toxic fumes, according to BBC News.
The incinerator is primarily used to dispose of animals collected by the city’s animal control department. But local officials said it is also used “every few months” to burn drugs to law enforcement authorities. This time, a fan to turn the airflow, not available, confirmed assistant city administrator Kevin IFFLAND to Associated Press.
Fourteen shelter workers were admitted to the hospital after exposure to meth smoke.
Shelter staff and animals exposed
Shelter Director Triniti Half person said that the employees who first assumed the haze was from burning carcasses.
“I had an intense headache and sore throat,” she told CBS News, adding that others experienced dizziness, sweat and coughing. “Not a party.”
The employees rushed to get animals out, many wearing masks, while the led dogs and carry cats outside. About 75 pets were evacuated or placed in care. Four cats trapped in a closed space with heavy exposure to smoke remain under close guard.
“We keep a very close eye on kittens,” said half -person.
Fifty -seven cats and dogs were evacuated or promoted.
Medical response and continuous symptoms
The 14 exposed workers were transported to a hospital where most spent several hours in a hyperbar oxygen chamber. The treatment was intended to address the effects of smoke breathing. According to half a person, some symptoms have hung in staff days after the incident. Even the FBI agents on the spot were told by their supervisor to seek medical evaluation, although a city betting control officer rejected.
The workers were not aware that smoke contained methamphetamine until a city official called them while they were already in the hospital. This revelation left the staff shaken and demanding answers.
Workers experienced dizziness, headaches and sore throats.
Fallout and shelter closure
Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter has been closed since the incident. Specialists are now testing the building for pollution before any remedy can begin. Andrew Newman of Newman Restoration told local journalists that the cleanup will be unlike a typical Meth Lab case because it involves a large commercial facility with various exposure risks, CBS News reports.
For staff and volunteers, the closure means interrupted adoptions, stopped medical treatment and uncertainty about long -term security. Half -person called the experience “heartbreaking” and encouraged members of the community to donate supplies such as food, blankets and bottles to support displaced animals.
The anger and questions of the community
Residents of Billings require accountability. Donor Jay Ettemen expressed frustration after delivering dog food and asked Associated Press: “Why the hell are they ruining drugs within the city borders? There are so many other places in the middle of nowhere.”
The city’s officials are now investigating whether the incinerator reached the correct operating temperature and why standard ventilation protection measures failed.
“We have to make sure this never happens again,” said IFFLAND.
For the shelter’s staff, the incident has left lasting turmoil. As half a person told journalists, “My team and my animals had been confirmed to have been exposed to meth.” Their priority now is the improvement, security and obstacle of another crisis.