At first, workers could only smell the smoke of the fire that destroyed Carrabassett Veterinary Services in Kingfield on Tuesday. In a matter of a few minutes, the fire had grown, and the staff’s efforts to contain the growing flames were useless.

“I just heard our practice manager run back to the fire area with an extinguisher,” said Lacy Kent-Weber, the assistant lead veterinary technician. “We could see the smoke billowing once we got out of the building, and then within like 10 minutes it was just black smoke filling the clinic.”

Over the course of four hours, the fire would engulf the entire building.

The next morning, the staff returned to the site. The two-story building was reduced to a pile of charred wood and insulation. Pacing the property were Jennifer Benson and her son, Stig, who lived in a rear apartment in the building and lost everything in the fire, including their two cats and chicks in their rear chicken coop, which they had just built.

Workers were quick to create a crowdfunding link to support the Bensons, who are daughter-in-law and grandson to John Benson, the clinic’s owner and doctor of veterinary medicine. It had raised more than $5,000 by Wednesday afternoon.

The blaze swept through the two-story building Tuesday afternoon, prompting a response from more than eight nearby community fire departments.

According to a release from Shannon Moss, public information officer for the Maine Department of Public Safety, the fire was spotted by an employee in the rear exterior of the building near the trash storage. The employee attempted to put it out with a portable fire extinguisher, but was unable to stop the flames from spreading. The employee received minor burns, which were later treated.

According to the release, the Office of State Fire Marshal was notified of a fire with explosions at the clinic at 3:30 p.m. By around 7:30 p.m., the fire was largely contained, but firefighters remained on the scene through the night, eventually demolishing the remaining sections of the building to contain fire.

Workers at the practice, who were at the scene Wednesday morning, said there were around 10 people in the building at the time of the fire. Only a few pets were in the clinic, but they were quickly evacuated when the fire started.

Hailey Walker, the lead veterinary technician, said that the community was quick to come to their aid. She said she has heard from plenty of people in town reaching out to check on the workers and family. Some even reached out during the fire.

“Every single person has been asking how they can somehow help, whether that’s going up or fundraising or whatever they can do. Even yesterday, too,” she said.

In the morning after the fire, some locals visited the scene to drop off goods for the Bensons. The workers stood around the demolished building, discussing the blaze.

John Benson said he is grateful for the support from the community and also from the local fire departments, who responded to the scene within 15 minutes.

“It just goes to show you what small-town living is like,” he said.

Benson started his practice in 1999. He said it was originally a part-time job, but business increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. He required two additional vets to keep up with the work.

Now, he said, the entire practice is shocked by the fire. While there is still a lot to process, he wants to make sure the community can continue to receive care for their pets. He said the next nearest veterinary practice is in Farmington.

“We’re all pretty sad about it,” Benson said. “We’re going to try to get up and running again in a temporary location as quickly as we can.”

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