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FBI burns meth at animal shelter, lands 14 workers in hospital with headache, dizziness
A routine FBI drug disposal went dangerously wrong in Billings, Montana, after smoke from burning methamphetamine filled an animal shelter and sickened staff.
A routine FBI drug disposal went dangerously wrong in Billings, Montana, after smoke from burning methamphetamine filled an animal shelter and sickened staff.
Fourteen employees of the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter were hospitalized Wednesday when fumes from an incinerator shared with the city’s animal control division seeped into the building, reported CBS News. The incinerator, typically used to cremate euthanized animals, is also occasionally utilized by law enforcement agencies to destroy seized narcotics.
According to city officials, two pounds of methamphetamine were being incinerated when negative air pressure pulled the smoke indoors. Assistant City Administrator Kevin Iffland said a fan meant to reverse the airflow was not available at the time.
No prior warning
Shelter Executive Director Triniti Halverson said staff had no prior warning about the drug burn.
“I can firmly and confidently say that, as the Executive Director, I did not know that they were disposing of extremely dangerous narcotics onsite,” she said in a statement, as per a BBC report.
“My team and my animals had been confirmed to have been exposed to meth.”
Halverson described suffering from an intense headache and sore throat, while others experienced dizziness, coughing, sweating, and nausea.
"Not a party," she remarked, adding: “Several of my staff were coughing, sweating, just dizzy, physically feeling ill.”
Evacuation and treatment
Shelter workers helped evacuate roughly 75 cats and dogs before leaving the building themselves, many of them wearing masks. Some animals most exposed to the fumes remain under veterinary observation, while others have been moved into foster homes.
The 14 affected staff members underwent several hours of treatment in hyperbaric oxygen chambers at Billings Clinic. Halverson said some workers are still experiencing lingering symptoms.
Community engagement coordinator Izzy Zalenski noted that the shelter’s ventilation system was never designed to handle chemical smoke.
"It’s never smelled like that before," Zalenski said. "The HVAC system is the exact same as a typical office. It’s not made for an animal shelter."
