Overview

• Fourteen Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter employees were evacuated and taken to hospitals, with most receiving oxygen therapy and later released; some FBI personnel were also evaluated and released the same day.
• City officials say smoke was pulled into occupied areas when negative air pressure reversed airflow and a fan meant to counter it was not available or not switched on.
• Dozens of animals were removed, washed, and placed in foster care or veterinary clinics, and the building is undergoing cleanup and contamination assessment.
• The shelter’s incinerator is primarily for animal remains but is used every few months by law enforcement and the FBI to destroy seized narcotics, according to the city.
• An investigation is examining equipment operation, required temperatures and procedures, with air-quality lab results expected next week and workers’ exposure test results still pending.