A Sunday afternoon fire destroyed the Dirty Dog Depot grooming business on South Lee Highway, drawing a major multi-agency response and igniting the wooded hillside behind the building as strong winds pushed flames uphill.
Lexington Fire Chief Ty Dickerson, who served as incident commander, said crews were dispatched at 1:04 p.m. after reports of smoke coming from the building. When firefighters arrived, they saw “heavy smoke coming from a kennel,” he said.
Additional units were requested for water supply, and crews began an interior attack immediately.
“The interior first floor fire was knocked down quickly, but it had extended to the attic, and that required cutting a hole in the roof to access that area,” Dickerson said.
Meanwhile, embers ignited the hillside behind the business. “The fire had also spread outside of the building to the wooded hill behind the kennel,” he said Tuesday. The Virginia Department of Forestry, which already had resources in the area, “took the lead on the woods fire and continued to operate there yesterday.”
Rockbridge County Fire Chief Nathan Ramsey described the building as “a total loss.”
Agencies responding included Lexington, Kerrs Creek, Effinger, Buena Vista, Natural Bridge and Glasgow fire departments, Buena Vista Rescue, and Rockbridge County Fire-Rescue. Ramsey said crews remained at the scene until about 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Dickerson confirmed that three firefighters were hurt during the incident: one Buena Vista firefighter with a twisted ankle, and two Lexington firefighters with minor burn injuries. No injuries were life-threatening.
The owner of the business, Kelly Mundy, told The News-Gazette Tuesday morning that all animals in their care were safely removed from the building.
“We got everyone out safely,” Mundy said. She did confirm the death of a stray cat in the area that had gotten into the building, and said that one dog was initially missing but was later found.
She credited her business partner, Kevin Dempsey, who works with the city of Lexington, with pulling multiple pets from the building. “Kevin’s the one who saved all the dogs,” she said.
Fire officials said they are continuing to review the scene, and the incident occurred outside city limits, meaning the Lexington Fire Department will not lead the investigation.
“The cause of the fire is undetermined,” Dickerson said, adding that the owner’s insurance company may bring in a private investigator.
Mundy said the fire appeared to have begun near the roof line. Her husband was behind the building when he first spotted smoke “coming out the seams of the roof,” she said. Mundy mentioned that the building was heated by a woodburning stove, and that they had been in the process of installing mini-splits.
The cinderblock structure had a wooden roof, which Mundy said contributed to the damage. “We lost over half the roof on one side of the building,” she said.
The business contained both indoor and outdoor kennel runs, which allowed some pets to be moved quickly before the others were carried out.
Mundy said the building — her livelihood for more than 20 years — is a total loss. “It’s really devastating,” she said.
The shop’s insurance did not include fire coverage, leaving Mundy uncertain about next steps. She said she is “going to have to ask around” for possible assistance and is considering reaching out to organizations such as the Salvation Army. Describing herself as “not a techy person,” she has not yet been able to set up an online fundraiser, which is a common strategy for victims of fire damage.
Forestry officials ultimately contained the fire on the hillside. “The wildlife folks got everything taken care of,” Mundy said.
