A WILD AND WOOLLY NIGHT IN LEDYARD
Firefighters from Gales Ferry and Ledyard work Thursday night at the site of a barn fire at 976 Long Cove Road in Gales Ferry. More than 20 farm animals were saved by the homeowner and firefighters.
Ledyard — Two dozen animals, including goats and miniature horses, escaped injury Thursday during a fire at a small barn at the Fluff & Udders Farm at 976 Long Cove Road in Gales Ferry.
First reported shortly after 9 p. m., Gales Ferry and Ledyard fire departments responded to find a small fire had burned a portion of an outbuilding housing an array of animals.
The animals had made it out safely by the time firefighters arrived.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Homeowner Michael Capazzi said his wife, Denise, grabbed an expandable hose from inside and sprayed water in an attempt to extinguish the flames. She was later treated at the scene for smoke inhalation but was in good condition, he said.
Capazzi said the farm is home to a miniature donkey, four miniature horses, about a dozen goats and countless numbers of chickens and ducks.
The fire burned just a portion of what he said was two 9-by-12-foot sheds connected with a fenced- in run. He said there are plenty of other outbuildings on the property to keep the animals sheltered from the cold.
He said he was grateful for the work of the firefighters, who he said arrived quickly and made short work of the fire.
“They handled the animals beautifully,” Capazzi said. “These guys were phenomenal.”
During the fire, Capazzi said the animals were running around, watching the fire and making a lot of noise. “They’re like kids,” he said. The town’s animal control officer was called in to assess the situation with the animals.