Forty cows died and another 140 cows escaped from a burning dairy barn Monday night at the Bullis Brothers Farm in Grand Isle, according to Vermont State Police.
No other injuries were reported.
Andrew Paradee, a neighbor, called 911 to report flames coming from the north end of the barn and then went to try to rescue some of the cows trapped inside, state police said in a news release.
The Grand Isle Fire Department was called to the farm on Griswold Road around 6:50 p.m., the release stated.
Arriving firefighters found the barn fully engulfed with flames. Firefighters and residents were able to open the barn’s doors, allowing many of the cows to escape, according to the news release.
Members of the state Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit later examined the scene and determined that the fire started in the northeast corner of the barn, near a garage door that led to a manure pit.
“Earlier in the afternoon, on the day of the fire, a farm worker had used a propane torch to thaw frozen manure around the door,” the news release stated. “Investigators believe this started a smoldering fire that later ignited surrounding combustible materials in the area.”
The cause of the fire was ruled accidental, according to the release, with the barn completely destroyed and an estimated loss of over $300,000.
