A thousand goats and other animals were killed in a barn fire on a Western Minnesota farm early morning Christmas Eve, according to multiple reports.
The fire started around 3 a.m. last Thursday at the Cornerstone Farm’s dairy barn northeast of Henning, Otter Tail County, Minnesota, the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office said, according to Star Tribune. (RELATED: Egg Farm Fire Kills Hundreds Of Thousands Of Chickens In Rural Florida)
According to the sheriff’s office and farm owners Brittany and Stephen Springer, the Springers’ losses include 1000 goats, a shepherding dog, 15 peacocks, and two tractors, Star Tribune reported.
Brittany Springer spotted the fire in the middle of the night after a noise in their basement woke her up, according to Valley News Live.
“I looked out our bedroom window and the whole sky was glowing orange. Our beautiful barn was lighting up the night sky with the horrific glow of fire,” Brittany wrote on the farm’s Facebook page.
After waking up Stephen Springer and calling 911, “all we could do was stand there and watch our dreams burn for 15 mins before the fire departments got there,” she continued.
“God gives and takes away, but God is still good. We are waiting to see His plan of whats next for us. Waiting to find the beauty in the ashes,” the post continued.
While the precise cause of the fire is yet to be found, “there is nothing suspicious noted at this time,” the county sheriff’s Lt. Greg Seim said in a statement, Star Tribune reported.
No people lost their lives or suffered injuries in the blaze, KSTP reported.
A fundraiser had been started to help the owners overcome their loss, according to Star Tribune. At the time of writing, it has raised $3,600 of its $20,000 goal.