Dec 28, 2017 1 min read

Several animals were saved Tuesday night from a fire that destroyed a barn in Deemston.

East Bethlehem Township fire Chief Mark Giovanelli said two goats, a horse, a donkey and several chickens were evacuated from a barn at 10 Mowery Lane that caught fire about 10:30 p.m. He said none of the animals was injured, except for one goat that had a burned tail.

“You could see the flames from over a mile away,” Giovanelli said. “It was close enough to the house that we were concerned the house might catch.”

Assisting at the scene were Richeyville, Denbo-Vesta Six, Bentleyville and Marianna fire departments. Giovanelli said he was grateful for the extra help, as it was 14 degrees outside.

“It was very cold,” he said. “We rotated people into heat that needed it. Nobody was to the point where they were overly exhausted.”

He said they were able to contain the fire and put it out “pretty quickly.” He also said the owners were planning to start rebuilding the barn to shelter the animals Wednesday.