Animals, staff safe following fire at Springfield Animal Hospital

Due to a quick and calm response by staffers, firefighters and passers-by, every person and animal made it safely out of the building following a fire at the Springfield Animal Hospital Thursday night.

The cause of the fire is still uncertain but Springfield Fire Chief Thompson noted the fire occurred where there are two flues in the crematorium.

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Springfield animals safe after fire Roger Carroll | January 19, 2017 Susan Smallheer SPRINGFIELD — A fire broke out Thursday night at the rear of the Springfield Animal Hospital, but firefighters said all the animals were safely evacuated. Three men who were driving by shortly after 8:30 p.m. stopped to help. They said they saw two women who appeared to be employees removing the animals from the kennels. One man said he ran to the back of the building and disconnected the propane tanks. The fire, which was visible to people driving on River Street, continued to smoulder. One fire officer reassured people who came to the scene that all the animals were out of the smoky fire. Firefighters brought the blaze quickly under control. 2017-01-21 / Front Page Print article Print Animals, staff safe following fire at Springfield Animal Hospital By TORY JONES toryb@eagletimes.com SPRINGFIELD — Due to a quick and calm response by staffers, firefighters and passers-by, every person and animal made it safely out of the building following a fire at the Springfield Animal Hospital Thursday night. The Springfield Fire Department (SFD) responded at 8:22 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19 to a report of a fire at the facility at 346 River St. The business is owned by Brad Temple and Dena Meehan, both veterinarians at the SAH. “All of the people and animals made it out safely thanks to our wonderful employees. They acted quickly and remained calm while attending to the animals in our care and getting them safely out of the building,” a staffer with the Springfield Animal Hospital wrote in a public post on the SAH Facebook page. Employees of the animal hospital noticed smoke in the building and quickly called 911. The employees were able to safely remove all boarded animals. The animals were housed with employees and other area veterinary clinics, all according to a press release from SFD. First arriving crews quickly knocked down “heavy fire” in the right corner of the building extending into the attic area, Fire Chief Russ Thompson said in the press release. Extensive overhaul was needed, challenged by add-on construction of a second roof and thick insulation, he said. Firefighters also conducted time-consuming and heavy salvage operation efforts, with guidance from the property owners, he said. The cause of the blaze is currently under investigation, and a origin cause team was on scene late Friday morning to determine the source of the fire, according to Thompson. Departments responding in mutual aid included Golden Cross Ambulance, Chester Fire, Ascutney Fire, Bellows Falls Fire, Walpole Fire Cascade, West Weathersfield Fire, with the Charlestown Fire Department covering the Springfield station. Many people in the area also stopped to offer assistance Thursday evening, according to the SAH. All employees who were at the animal hospital on Thursday night are safe, and the facility is closed temporarily, Veterinary Technician Peggy Day said on Friday, Jan. 20. Calls to the SAH on Friday morning were directed to Dr. Vernon Temple’s chiropractic office, where SAH staff have been busy taking calls from concerned citizens, patients and people offering assistance after hearing about the fire. Dr. Vernon Temple, who is the father of SAH veterinarian Dr. Brad Temple, said on Friday that he had spoken to his son on Thursday night after the fire. “They are here to stay, and will be rebuilding,” he said. He said on his son’s behalf that SAH wants to assure the community that it is not closing, and that staffers are seeking a temporary office space to serve the community while they work to rebuild the Springfield Animal Hospital in its current location. “They want to say how thankful they are. The staff did an amazing job evacuating the building,” the senior Temple said. Veterinarian Dr. Laurie Livingston was at the animal hospital at the time of the fire, he said. He also said the SAH staff is grateful to SFD Chief Russ Thompson, the Springfield firefighters, and others who responded. “Their quick response saved the building,” Temple said. Because the building sustained damage, it will remain closed short-term until new office space is found, Temple said. “We appreciate everyone's concern and are fortunate to be in such a caring community. We especially would like to thank all of the first responders that came so quickly and did everything they could to put out the fire and minimize the damage,” SAH staff wrote on its Facebook page. The Sullivan County Humane Society of New Hampshire also expressed “deepest gratitude,” from the SCHS board and volunteers, to the staff at the SAH, which provides veterinary clinic services for SCHS. “The amazing staff got our three cats, who were waiting for surgery, and all other animals out safely. Not only did they get our three cats out, one of their techs then delivered them back to us at the shelter,” SCHS-NH President Cheryl Bromley said in social media post on behalf of the humane society. Bromley also said that no people or animals were injured in the fire, and thanked the SAH staff for “the amazing level of caring in a time of crisis.” “Our thoughts and prayers are with the staff at this time,” she wrote.