Newborn goats killed in fire
By Gary Popp
Published in News on March 4, 2011 1:46 PM
Several newborn goats were killed in a fire Thursday night after being born earlier in the day.
Grantham Volunteer Fire Department responded to the structure fire in the 300 block of Selah Church Road at 8:27 p.m., Chief Richard Proctor said.
"The building and a shelter were completely engulfed in flames on our arrival," Proctor said.
Five to 10 baby goats and the mother goat were in the shelter during the fire.
Proctor said the mother goat is believed to have started the fire by knocking over an electric heat lamp used the keep the young goats warm.
The goats were under a shelter attached to a farm building.
The call to dispatch was made by a neighbor or passerby, Proctor said.
The property owner, Edward Aswell, was not at home when the fire began.
Aswell did arrive while the firefighters were on the scene.
"The fire consumed a tractor, lawn mower, generators, LP cylinders, a gas tank and what most any farmer would accumulate after 25 or 30 years," Proctor said.
Volunteer crews from Jordan's Chapel, Thoroughfare and Mar-Mac also arrived to assist Grantham firefighters.
Proctor said other materials were close by that the firefighters prevented from catching fire.
"I thought we did a good job of keeping the fire contained. There were boats, vehicles and another building, as well as large rolls of hay bails."
Firefighters cleared the scene at 11:15 p.m.
"Everybody did a great job of team effort and, except for the goats, no one was hurt. That is a good thing for a fire chief," Proctor said.