Family loses show herd to barn fire

Dec. 16--ELLENBURG CENTER -- Jessica Gilmore looked out the sliding-glass kitchen doors at the remains of her family's cattle barn Wednesday.

A fire Tuesday night left little standing but the garage frame and barn wall facing the road, with the rest of the structure at 507 West Hill Road either caved in or on the ground.

All but one of more than 50 cows and heifers died in the blaze, trapped inside the burning barn.

"It's bad because we're here," said Jessica, who owns the farm with her husband, Kelley. "We've got to look at it."

INSURED

Ellenburg Center Fire Chief Colin Wall said the barn was fully engulfed in flames when his crew arrived around 6 p.m.

The Gilmores do have insurance on the structure.

"It's not great, but we do," she said. "Our adjuster is coming (Thursday).

"I kind of hope we can get it cleared up so we don't have to look at it."

As of Wednesday, the cause and origin of the fire was still under investigation, Wall said.

"They think it might have been (started) by one of the exhaust fans," Jessica said.

AT BASKETBALL GAME

Nobody was home when the fire started; Kelley coaches Northern Adirondack Central modified girls' basketball, and the family was in Moriah for a game, Jessica said.

"We got the call in the second quarter, I think."

She said they found out through a firefighter's wife who was at the game, since the Gilmores had spotty cellphone service in Moriah.

None of their five children, Britt, 15; Brynne, 13; Bella, 10; Shane, 7; and Lucas, 3; came back to the house Tuesday night.

COW, HORSE ESCAPED

Jessica said McKenna, the cow that got out, was the most likely of all her animals to do so.

"When she would get loose she would barrel through the door, always getting into trouble."

Rocket, the Gilmore's horse, was also able to escape the flames.

Both were being kept at Kelley's brother's farm Wednesday.

"He was going to try to give (McKenna) meds and see if that would work," Jessica said on Wednesday.

"But I think they'll have to put her down today."

Cows are extremely sensitive to smoke inhalation.

'OUR GIRLS'

Show cows comprised much of the Gilmores' herd since their kids are 4-H members.

"My husband is a sergeant at Upstate (Correctional Facility), so it wasn't our livelihood," Jessica said. "More of our family (activity).

"We know their names, their personalities -- they're like babies. The little cows would follow us around in the barn like puppies."

The Gilmores always referred to the herd as "our girls."

"People say rebuild and get more cows -- but you don't get these cows."

MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS

The Ellenburg Depot, Churubusco, Lyon Mountain, Champlain, Rouses Point, Mooers and Altona fire departments provided mutual aid at the fire, with Rouses Point firefighters bringing a ladder truck and Mooers bringing a light truck, Wall said.

The Dannemora and Chateaugay fire departments stood by; Chateaugay at Ellenburg Center's station.

Wall said weather conditions posed no problems for the extinguishing efforts, comparing temperatures to this time last year, when water levels would have been lower and water used on site would have started freezing up.

About 25 to 30 firefighters fought the blaze, and no special equipment was necessary, though firefighters did use a a chainsaw to knock down a small section of wall.

"But for the most part, everything fell together," Wall said.

HOME SAVED

Wall said firefighters were able stop the fire from reaching the Gilmores' house.

"NYSEG came back very late last night and got our power turned back on," Jessica said.

Wall could not put an estimate on the amount of water used but said the Ellenburg Center, Mooers and Altona fire departments had to dump their tankers 16 or 20 times each.

All departments were back in service by 10:36 p.m.

"I'd like to thank all the mutual-aid departments," Wall said. "Thanks for all the assistance."

REKINDLE

Ellenburg Center Fire Department had to return around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday to douse a rekindle.

"The whole corner was on fire again this morning," Jessica said.

Muddy conditions and the cluster of apparatuses made it difficult to reach the spot the night before, Wall said.

The department was back in service again by 7:30 a.m.

Smoke from small remaining flames continued to roll off the decimated structure Wednesday afternoon.

"It's pretty unbelievable," Jessica whispered as the vapor seemed to tap the sliding glass door.

'BEST BUILT BARN'

"Everyone says it was the best built barn in Ellenburg," Jessica said.

"It's very odd; when you'd drive up the hill, the first thing you'd see is a big red barn."

She said the family lost many belongings stored in the adjacent garage.

But that's nothing compared to the loss of the herd.

"I was looking at a picture of them -- people see black-and-white cows, but I knew exactly who it was.

"It's devastating, that's for sure."

Email Cara Chapman:

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Twitter: @PPR_carachapman

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