Longview, Texas animal hospital fire 'just devastating'
Kimbrough Animal Hospital fire
Fire crews were continuing to investigate Wednesday morning after a fire Tuesday night tore through Kimbrough Animal Hospital in Longview. Thirty-eight animals died in the fire.
Kimbrough Animal Hospital Fire
UPDATE:
Fire officials say the cause of a Tuesday night fire that destroyed a
Longview animal hospital and killed 38 animals was electrical.
"The
fire started in the office,” Longview Fire Marshal Johnny Zarckary said
Wednesday morning of the fire at Kimbrough Animal Hospital on Judson
Road.
“The cause has been narrowed down to electrical components in the
office."
PREVIOUS STORY: Only two animals
survived a fire late Tuesday that engulfed Kimbrough Animal Hospital.
Officials deemed the Longview veterinary clinic a total loss.
Longview Fire Marshal Johnny Zackary said 40 animals were at the clinic at the time the fire started; 38 animals died.
Dr.
Kenneth Kimbrough, owner of the clinic in the 1600 block of Judson
Road, worked alongside firefighters trying to save the animals.
The
veterinarian personally took the two surviving pets to East Texas
Animal Hospital, a 24-hour emergency animal clinic on Gilmer Road, for
treatment, Zackary said.
The fire department responded about 10:15
p.m. to the fire at the animal clinic, where flames could be seen
shooting out of the roof when they arrived. The building collapsed
during the blaze, but firefighters worked throughout the night to remove
the animals.
"The fire started in the office, the cause has been narrowed down to electrical components in the office," Zackary said.
A
crowd that included many of Kimbrough’s longtime clients had gathered
out front, watching as the blaze destroyed the building and looking to
see what they could do to help.
Christi Lee of Longview said she has been a client of the clinic for the past 20 years.
“I
just picked up our dog yesterday,” she said while standing across
Judson Road watching the blaze. “I was supposed to drop off two kittens
tomorrow. Kenny (Kimbrough) was going to remove the stitches.”
Lee said Kimbrough was great with the animals and with people.
“Kenny
Kimbrough is a great man, as well as a great doctor. His staff is so
compassionate,” she said. “This is so heartbreaking.”
Robin Maley,
who said she has been bringing her pets to Kimbrough Animal Hospital
for 20 years, said she came out Tuesday night to see how she could help.
“It’s
just devastating. He is so gentle and kind. Any of his clients would
want to help in any way they can,” said Maley, who often boards her two
dogs with Kimbrough.
“The thought of the owners hearing this news
is just devastating,” she said. “This must be affecting Dr. Kimbrough
horribly. I can’t imagine him having to call those families. Dr.
Kimbrough is just a part of our family.”
Karen Hart, a former
employee at the animal clinic, said the 1980 facility had just been
recently remodeled and that Kimbrough had an open house just last
weekend.
"Everybody's in shock right now. I talked to Dr.
Kimbrough. He is just numb right now and in shock," said Hart, who
worked as a receptionist at the clinic from 2008 to 2011.
Hart said when she pulled up and saw the flames, her first thought was of the animals.
"All
of those animals were precious. We love them like family. Everybody is
asking right now what they can do to help. There's really not anything
that you can do," she said. "It's heartbreaking. The animals depend on
us to take care of them and to protect them. I can't imagine what was
going through their minds."
The deceased animals were taken just
after midnight to a building next door to the animal clinic for their
owners to come and ID them. The animals have been wrapped up, but their
heads are shown for the owners to easily identify them and take them
home.
All of the records in the building were destroyed. Employees
are asking pet owners who had a pet that was being boarded or was under
the care of the clinic to call (903) 399-6797 and leave a message.
Staff will call them back as quickly as possible.
Staffers said
this is only for clients who had pets under the care of the clinic or
were being boarded at the clinic at the time of the fire.
Source: http://www.news-journal.com