A tragic fire at Old Country Animal Clinic on Old Country Road early on Sunday morning, July 18, left 17 animals dead.
According to 2nd Deputy Fire Chief Craig Robinson, the fire started before 8 a.m. on Sunday morning. Firefighters from the Plainview, Jericho, Farmingdale, Syosset, Hicksville, Bethpage and Melville fire departments battled the flames for approximately half an hour before subduing the fire, he said. While 17 animals did die inside the clinic, firefighters were able to rescue the reptiles and amphibians. Two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion, and one for an asthma attack; all of the treated firefighters were from Plainview.
According to Robinson, electrical work was being done at the clinic during the night, which is being considered as a possible cause of the fire, but the cause is still undetermined. The Fire Marshalls report, which should be released in approximately a week, will have the department’s definitive answer regarding the cause. Robinson did say that the evidence at the clinic was not necessarily consistent with an electrical fire.
“They are looking toward the electrical, but there are certain things inside the building that don’t make any sense. So, before they pretty much say it was electrical, they really need to finish the investigations,” he said.
No one at Old Country Animal Clinic could be reached for comment at this time.
