Animals rescued after early-morning fire at Montco SPCA
A fire broke out early Saturday in the Conshohocken office of the Montgomery County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. All animals were safely evacuated and no one was injured, authorities said.
A fire broke out early Saturday in the Conshohocken office of the Montgomery County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. All animals were safely evacuated and no one was injured, authorities said.
Carmine Ronio, executive director of the animal-welfare organization, said the fire was believed to have started in a utility room in the center of the building, where an electrical panel is located.
The room is also the loading area for the cremation unit, but the unit, which is outside, was not in operation at the time, Ronio said.
An on-duty employee detected smoke in the building, at 19 Ridge Pike, and called 911 at about 1:30 a.m., helping save the animals.
"Emergency services were dispatched and she started the evacuation procedure," said Whitemarsh Fire Marshal Scott Lynch.
He said the fire caused moderate to severe damage in the back of the building, taking off most of the roof of the crematorium area. The rest of the office can reopen by Monday, he estimated, but it will take longer to repair that back area, clean the kennels, and return the animals.
The cause of the fire, which occurred above the ceiling and was under control in about an hour, remains under investigation, but Lynch said it is not considered suspicious.
No civilians or firefighters were injured, he said.
The Barren Hill Volunteer Fire Company and the Spring Mill Fire Company both responded. Ronio and other SPCA employees also rushed to the site.
"I didn't see any flames when I arrived," Ronio said. "There was a considerable amount of smoke."
He said about 22 animals - nine dogs, most pit bulls; a dozen cats; and one guinea pig - were safely transported by employees to the SPCA's other facilities in Perkiomenville and Abington.
In an emergency situation, the SPCA can still house an animal in its clinic in another building on the site, or in a separate back section of the main building that was not affected by the fire, he said.
None of the animals Saturday were injured or suffered from smoke inhalation, he said. Firefighters helped move the animals from the smoky building, Ronio said, adding: "They were great."
The building did not have electrical power for part of the day Saturday, according to Ronio. He said the SPCA had recently spent $75,000 for a new roof.
"We have temporary power now," Ronio said late in the afternoon. Lynch said the SPCA had to work with its servicers to restore power, water, and heat to the rest of the building.
Upon learning about the fire, several people had contacted the SPCA by early Saturday evening to offer assistance, Lynch said.
"That's good to see that the public, not only the residents of Whitemarsh but outside of Whitemarsh, are willing to come in and help the SPCA," he said.
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