A large dairy barn in northern Bradford County caught fire Wednesday night. Forty dairy cows died and dozens of others had to be put down.
Firefighters were called to the farm along Boardman Road in Windham Township north of Rome and not far from the New York state border.
Workers on that farm said the owners have been through a lot and now this. The owner's husband passed away a few years ago and then the fire destroyed the dairy barn leading to the deaths of all the cows nearly 100 in all.
Piles of hay continued to smolder Thursday at the scene of the devastating barn fire.
According to workers, Boardmans' Sunset Acres had nearly 100 head of dairy cattle inside the barn, 40 perished and 50 or so escaped, but those cows were suffering so badly from inhaling the smoke they were put down.
"Cows can be replaced and people can't. It's most important that nobody was hurt during the whole fire," said neighbor Kelsey Carlsen. She and her family also run a dairy farm and said the Boardman's farm had been hit by fire several times before.
She added after seeing the Boardman's lose the barn, the cows and the equipment inside it must take its toll on the whole operation.
"For us cows are our livelihood, and I can't even imagine what they're going through right now. I walked in the barn last night after we got back. I can't believe what they're going through, got to be so hard," said Carlsen.
Despite the major loss, neighbors said the community will pull together and help the Boardman's during a difficult time.
"The last time it happened, everyone was there for them, won't be any different this time," said Carlsen.
A state police fire marshal was on scene for part of the day looking for whatever started the massive fire.
Investigators said the fire is not considered suspicious, but they have not determined a cause.
Firefighters were called to the farm along Boardman Road in Windham Township north of Rome and not far from the New York state border.
Workers on that farm said the owners have been through a lot and now this. The owner's husband passed away a few years ago and then the fire destroyed the dairy barn leading to the deaths of all the cows nearly 100 in all.
Piles of hay continued to smolder Thursday at the scene of the devastating barn fire.
According to workers, Boardmans' Sunset Acres had nearly 100 head of dairy cattle inside the barn, 40 perished and 50 or so escaped, but those cows were suffering so badly from inhaling the smoke they were put down.
"Cows can be replaced and people can't. It's most important that nobody was hurt during the whole fire," said neighbor Kelsey Carlsen. She and her family also run a dairy farm and said the Boardman's farm had been hit by fire several times before.
She added after seeing the Boardman's lose the barn, the cows and the equipment inside it must take its toll on the whole operation.
"For us cows are our livelihood, and I can't even imagine what they're going through right now. I walked in the barn last night after we got back. I can't believe what they're going through, got to be so hard," said Carlsen.
Despite the major loss, neighbors said the community will pull together and help the Boardman's during a difficult time.
"The last time it happened, everyone was there for them, won't be any different this time," said Carlsen.
A state police fire marshal was on scene for part of the day looking for whatever started the massive fire.
Investigators said the fire is not considered suspicious, but they have not determined a cause.
