JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It was just another day at Exotic Bird Hospital off Old Kings Road South on Tuesday until a routine task went wrong.
“We could hear hissing and ‘bam, bam, bam.’ It sounded like metal cages were falling which sometimes happens here. So, it didn’t like set our radar off yet. But then when it continued we were like ‘oh no,’” vet tech Skye Bennett said.
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Bennett told News4JAX on Wednesday that employees later found out an oxygen tank fell over, sparked and exploded during a routine oxygen transfer.
After the fire broke out, the employees at the hospital acted quickly. Using an assembly line, they got 62 birds out and rolled their cages into the parking lot. Bennett said someone next to the hospital allowed the staff to put birds in her backyard and home.
A staff-owned bird died in the fire but the rest were rescued. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue said two people went to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. According to a GoFundMe set up by the hospital, one of the doctors was taken to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. Once released, the doctor returned to continue helping the rest of the staff who stayed late into the evening.
“We’re super grateful. It could have been a lot worse,” said Bennett, who has worked at the hospital for four years.
Bennett said employees took in the birds that were left without a place to go.
“All of the patients are spread out amongst us employees. We have some at our houses. I have got three birds at my house,” she said.
Shelia Webb, who has worked at the hospital for 18 years, was cleaning up with Bennett on Wednesday, taking supplies and items from the burned building.
Webb said that most of the basic necessities of the birds were ruined by the fire. The building on the exterior is intact, but the inside has extensive damage.
“It’s just long, a whole process,” Webb said.
Lynette Habak didn’t know about the fire when she showed up with her bird “Kiwi” for an appointment on Wednesday. Habak was upset over what happened and immediately offered to drive to the store and buy supplies for the employees.
“This staff, this hospital is incredible, all the doctors, all the techs, every staff is incredible, and my heart is broken for them because they put so much into everything, and they love everything they do,” Habak said.
The staff said it plans to rebuild and continue the hospital’s two-plus decade commitment to helping the birds of Jacksonville.
You can find a link to the hospital’s online fundraiser here. So far the hospital has raised $22,000.