Metro Richmond Zoo honors firefighters who responded to destructive June 2023 fire

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Metro Richmond Zoo held a first responder appreciation day to honor the Chesterfield County firefighters who responded to the large June 2023 fire that broke out at the zoo .

According to an official Facebook post by Chesterfield County Fire and EMS , the Metro Richmond Zoo held a first responder appreciation day on Friday, June 21, for the firefighters who responded to the fire that broke out at the zoo on June 4, 2023 .

Firefighters had the opportunity to bring their families to the zoo for dinner, as well as enjoy the zoo’s rides and animals.

According to Chesterfield County Fire and EMS, zoo officials presented the department and Battalion Chief Wayne Bowen, who was the incident commander on the fire, with a banner and plaque, showing appreciation for all the firefighters who helped to put out the fire and save the animals that night.

At around 10 p.m. on June 4, 2023, Chesterfield Fire and EMS responded to the zoo located on Beaver Bridge Road for a reported fire. Upon their arrival, they found several buildings on fire and began to quickly put out the blaze.

Firefighters and zoo staff were able to rescue nine animals, however, a meerkat who was receiving care in the zoo’s animal hospital died .

The fire destroyed the zoo’s workshop, animal hospital and zookeeper service building . However, the zoo was able to reopen a new zookeeper service building twice as large as the one before.

The banner gifted to Bowen features an image of “Phoenix, ” a penguin that was one of the nine animals that survived the fire at the Metro Richmond Zoo’s animal hospital. He was named Phoenix after how he “rose from the ashes.”

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