Animals safe after barn fire at Lilac Hedge Farm in Holden

April 04--HOLDEN -- About 35 firefighters from six towns battled a blaze in a barn at Lilac Hedge Farm on Bond Road Tuesday afternoon.

Owners were removing several animals from inside the barn when firefighters arrived. Among those animals was Joshua, a camel who is quite well-known in the area.

Fire Chief Russ Hall said firefighters arrived to find a utility building attached to the barn engulfed in flames. Fire crews prevented the fire from spreading into the main section of the barn, he said.

The area of the barn where the fire started is used for the operation of the farm and is not a place where animals are housed, the chief said. A larger section of the barn was still structurally sound and mostly undamaged, leaving it available for the animals to use.

Chief Hall said firefighters from Barre, Hubbardston, Oakham and Paxton joined crews from Holden and Rutland that had responded initially. Firefighters from Sterling and West Boylston were on standby at the Holden Fire Department.

The chief said the cause of the fire is being investigated. He could not provide a dollar estimate for the damage caused by Tuesday's blaze.

Lilac Hedge is operated by farmers Ryan MacKay and Tom Corbett. Mr. MacKay said Tuesday afternoon that while no animals were harmed, the fire dealt a big blow to the farm's operations. The barn contained inventory, egg cartons, cow feed, an egg washer, ultrasound machines for the cows and other items. Because it was an older barn, the farmers were unable to insure it, Mr. MacKay said.

He said the farm's priority Tuesday was getting the animals taken care of and trying to move forward.

"Our lives revolve around the animals, and we're trying to get them settled right now," Mr. MacKay said.

A GoFundMe page to raise money for the farm was already up and running Tuesday afternoon. Mr. MacKay said he hadn't had time since the fire to check social media, but said the farm has the best group of people who support it. And he said he was already receiving calls offering help from fellow farmers.

"We work in the best industry possible," Mr. MacKay said. "No one's more supportive than a farmer."

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