BOISE, Idaho — A fire that broke out at a Boise storage facility earlier this month, damaging nearly two dozen units, also destroyed donations earmarked for the Idaho Humane Society's new facility slated to open this year.
The unit held donated office furniture including desks, file cabinets, a conference room table and about 40 office chairs, according to IHS officials. Although the unit was just one door away from the last unit with fire damage, the smoke damage to the furniture was severe enough that it will all need to be replaced.
Shelter donations damaged in Stor-It fire
Flames tore through the Stor-It Self Storage facility on Maple Grove Road May 1, after a construction worker cutting on the roof of one of the buildings accidentally sparked a fire. Firefighters kept it from spreading to nearby buildings, but 22 units in all were damaged, including the one used by Idaho Humane.
Stor-It had donated the storage unit space to the shelter while IHS had collected furniture over the last year.
"We are saddened to lose the furniture destined for our new building," Chief Development Office Jimmy Hillig said in a release. "While it was donated to us, it was in amazing shape, and this will now affect our budget moving forward."
Idaho Humane will purchase replacement furniture from a local business ahead of the opening of their 42,000 square-foot animal care center on Overland Road. Anyone willing to match donations collected for the office furniture cost is asked to contact Hillig at jhillig@idahohumanesociety.org.