Fire at animal hospital, but no injuries to man or beast
(Justine Hunt/Globe Staff)
Student Sara Stoll waited with a dog as the buildings were evacuated.
By Jillian Jorgensen, Globe Correspondent
A fire at the MSPCA-Angell Medical Center in Jamaica Plain this evening destroyed about half of the hospital’s archives, but no animals or people were injured, officials said.
The fire on the fifth floor, which caused about $25,000 in damages, was caused by an electrical short circuit, Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said.
One dog, who was in the middle of an MRI procedure and under anesthesia, had to be evacuated because he could not be left in the machine unmonitored, according to MSPCA spokesman Brian Adams.
"The doctors thought fast, basically rigged up an oxygen tank, made it mobile, brought it out and kept the dog safe," Adams said.
Staff members who had brought their pets to work also took them outside during the evacuation.
The other animals in the hospital wards and adoption center, located on the first floor, were deemed far enough from the fire to be safe inside, Adams said.
The archives housed old records, film and print materials detailing the history of the organization.
"It's the history, but when it comes down to it, it's paper. We’re lucky that the animals and the staff are safe and secure," Adams said.
