FBI Meth Incineration Hospitalizes Animal Shelter Staff, Prompts Animal Evacuation in Montana

Fourteen staff members at the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter in Billings, Montana, required hospitalization this past Wednesday after an FBI operation to incinerate two pounds of seized methamphetamine went awry, filling the facility with smoke.

The incident led to the evacuation of approximately 75 cats and dogs from the shelter. Staff members, some exposed to the smoke for over an hour, reported feeling ill and were treated at an emergency room, including time in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for smoke inhalation. Animals with significant smoke exposure are currently under close supervision.

According to Assistant City Administrator Kevin Iffland, the smoke was pushed back into the building due to negative pressure, causing the unexpected contamination. Shelter Executive Director Triniti Halverson stated she was completely unaware that the drug burn was taking place on the premises. “My team and my animals had been confirmed to have been exposed to meth,” she said, emphasizing her lack of prior notification.

While the incinerator is typically used by animal control for disposing of euthanized animals, local authorities confirmed it can also be utilized by law enforcement for narcotics disposal. An FBI spokesperson noted that the agency routinely employs outside facilities for controlled drug evidence burns.

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