WORCESTER — Outward appearances to the contrary, the cleanup crew at the Worcester Community Veterinary Hospital on Main Street has a few more weeks of work to accomplish before the facility is ready to reopen after an electrical fire in December forced it to temporarily close its doors.
Worcester Community Veterinary Hospital on Main Street remains closed after an electrical fire.
“It’s very frustrating, it looks like there is nothing wrong from the outside,” said Sheryl Blancato, the founder and CEO of Second Chances Animal Services. The nonprofit animal welfare organization was founded in 1999 and operates community veterinary hospitals in North Brookfield, Springfield and Worcester. It also operates a shelter in East Brookfield.
The fire damage is only visible from inside the building.
While the power has been restored to the building, located in a strip mall on Main Street, cleanup crews must still test the equipment to ensure it was not damaged by the fire. Melted electrical cords still have to be replaced and the painters have yet to paint.
The surge and the water used to fight the blaze could have affected the medical equipment, including the X-ray machine, blood-testing machine, “all the expensive equipment needed by a hospital,” Blancato said.
The blaze, reported on Dec. 19, forced the shuttering of the hospital. Blancato said investigators believe a fluctuation in voltage outside the structure affected the wiring.
Assistant Fire Chief Adam Roche said the investigation into the blaze determined that it was an electrical arc in an outlet and referred the matter to the city’s electrical inspection department and National Grid.
“There was a small amount of fire that was quickly extinguished,” Roche said. The city’s electrical inspectors will determine what steps need to be taken to ensure the safety of the structure and its occupants.
One of the wall outlets that was damaged in the fire at the Worcester Community Veterinary Hospital on Main Street last month.
“The plugs started to melt,” Blancato said, explaining that she was told the fluctuations caused a buildup of heat that caused the wall plates and the electrical cords plugged into those outlets to melt. “First one randomly started to melt, then another.”
At first Blancato thought it was a coincidence, but there were seven fires in the outlets in one day. The hospital closed the building and turned off all electrical power. The second day started well, then three more outlets sparked and smoked.
The hospital has been in the building for about a decade. Blancato said the wiring dates back to then. She is hopeful the hospital can reopen by the end of January.
“So many people rely on us for services,” Blancato said.
The organization participates in a special program through the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. The Massachusetts Animal Fund offers low-income residents vouchers for free spay/neuter clinics. Residents who meet certain financial criteria, both state and federal, like Transitional Aid to Dependent Families, Supplemental Security Income, SNAP or WIC among others, can apply for a voucher and have their animal spayed or neutered at no cost.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Community Veterinary Hospital remains closed after fire