Madison, Onondaga & Cortland Counties respond
DeRuyter barn engulfed in flames, 7:15 am Sunday morning
/ photo: Sandi Burdick
DERUYTER -- Fire investigators say an electric block heater used to start a tractor is to blame for a fire at a Central New York dairy farm that killed about eight to ten calves.
Firefighters spent most of the day Sunday at the scene of the barn fire near Highland Forest, south of Cazenovia, clearing wreckage after a massive fire that destroyed the building on Wood Road early Sunday morning.
DeRuyter Fire Chief Ed Coon says the flames spread quickly after the heater malfunctioned. Coon says the surviving 220 cattle were moved to neighboring dairy farms. We're told several young ones perished but most of the herd was saved. Calvary Baptist Church, in DeRuyter, tells us some teens from the church helped at the scene as well.
The fire was reported at 6:51 Sunday morning, and Madison County 911 quickly called in mutual aid from fire volunteers in Onondaga and Cortland Counties. 911 operators told us six fire companies responded. Besides flames, they had near zero degree cold to deal with, as well. Neighbors say the fiercest flames came from the side of the building where the milk parlor was. That section was destroyed.
It's expected the damage evaluation, and decisions on what to do with the surviving dairy cows, will be made by Monday. There have already been offers of help, and offers to contribute to benefits, by neighbors.
(Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.)
