POESTENKILL, NY - On March 8th at 4:43 A.M., the Poestenkill Fire Department along with Mohawk Ambulance were dispatched for a reported barn fire with animals trapped inside at 79 Garfield Road. The dispatcher notified all units that the farmer was attempting to get the animals out.

While en route, Poestenkill Car 1 was notified that the first arriving state police unit confirmed a working barn fire with heavy fire showing from the roadway, and immediately requested additional resources and manpower to the scene from the Wynantskill and Eagle Mills Fire Departments.

Poestenkill Car 1 arrived on scene and immediately transmitted the Signal 30, requesting the Mountain View, Averill Park, and Center Brunswick Fire Departments to the scene with tankers and manpower. The chief established a command post at the end of the driveway while the assistant chief established operations command on his arrival.

As the first arriving engine began deploying multiple hand lines to the front of the barn, firefighters noticed that the main barn that was on fire was adjacent to the calves barn that had caught fire. With a heavy fire condition traveling across the roof of the barn and endangering the lives of numerous calves, firefighters made the decision to begin an aggressive interior attack to knock down the heavy fire and drive it back out of the barn.

Quick thinking state police officers and sheriff's deputies formed a plan to move the trapped calves to a barn over 150-feet away. With fire still traveling across some of the beams and heavy winds feeding the fire on the other side of the barn, firefighters, sheriff's deputies, state police, and the farmers made the decision to move the calves right away and began to corral them out of the barn. Making a ring to direct the animals down the other side of the barn, they were able to escape the fire.

With the calves now out of the way, firefighters continued to make an aggressive interior attack, knocking down the heavy fire conditions. Wynantskill FD firefighters arrived on scene on the other side of the barn and began to knock down the remaining portion of the heavy fire condition. Additional units and firefighters from the mutual aid companies began to arrive on scene and a full tanker relay was established. Crews had the fire under control within about 20 minutes of the original dispatch and began conducting overhaul of the scene shortly after.

Fire Investigators arrived on scene and began to conduct a investigation into what caused the fire. One building that housed machinery and a truck was completely destroyed. The barn that housed the calves was severely damaged. All of the calves were able to make it out safely without injury. No injuries to any of the firefighters or civilians were reported.

Just a few weeks prior, members of the Poestenkill FD received specialized training on how to handle cattle and other large farm animals during an emergency. This training proved to be vital during the barn fire.