FBI Tried to Burn Meth, and It Didn't Go Well

A cloud of smoke from two pounds of methamphetamine seized by the FBI and incinerated inside a Montana animal shelter sent its workers to the hospital, reports the AP. The smoke started to fill the building during a drug burn on Wednesday, apparently because of negative pressure that sucked it back inside, said Billings Assistant City Administrator Kevin Iffland. A fan was supposed to be on hand in such situations to reverse the pressure so smoke would flow out of the building, but Iffland said it wasn't readily available.

The incinerator is used primarily to burn carcasses of animals euthanized or collected by the city's animal control division. But every couple of months, local law enforcement or FBI agents use it to burn seized narcotics, Iffland said. Fourteen workers from the nonprofit Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter evacuated and went to the hospital. The shelter's 75 dogs and cats were relocated or put into foster homes, said Iffland and shelter director Triniti Halverson.

The shelter shares space with Billings' animal control division. Halverson said she had a very intense headache and sore throat, and others had dizziness, sweating, and coughing. "Not a party," she said. The incinerator is meant to operate at a certain temperature so it doesn't emit toxins. Iffland said officials were trying to determine if it was at the appropriate temperature.