'I don’t know what we’re going to do.' Family speaks out after dozens of animals killed in East End barn blaze
Laura Wells, whose husband and son run the farm, said two pigs and likely dozens of chickens died in the fire.
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It's unclear how a family farm with roots to Long Island's East End will recover after a massive fire burned down their main barn and killed several animals yesterday evening.
Laura Wells, whose husband and son, Eric Wells, run the day-to-day operations at Wells Farm in Northville, told News 12 they don't know where to begin picking up the pieces.
“This is just devastating," she said. "I honestly don’t know what we’re going to do.”
Riverhead police and half a dozen fire departments responded to the farm at 4976 Sound Ave. just before 5 p.m. Wednesday.
A large portion of the farm's main barn was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived.
Wells said police and family members rushed into the burning building to rescue as many trapped animals as possible. She said they were able to pull 19 pigs to safety.
According to Eric Wells, four pigs and 30 chickens died in the fire. A total of 17 pigs survived.
“My two granddaughters ended up in the hospital, trying to rescue the pigs," said Laura Wells. "Thank goodness for the police and the firefighters. They helped us get the pigs out of there.”
One police officer and two of Wells' granddaughters were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center for additional treatment.
Humane Long Island, an animal advocacy group, was called to the scene to monitor the condition of the animals that survived the fire.
The group's executive director, John Di Leonardo, said many of the surviving animals suffered from burns, lacerations and smoke inhalation.
News 12 saw many of those pigs resting and recovering on the farm today.
In a Facebook post, Eric Wells Sr. wrote, "I would like to thank all the first responders who came to our place to help with the barns that caught fire. Also, I would like to thank those who helped save as many animals as possible and get them out of the building and into an outside pen where they could get fresh air and be tended to by our personnel. I would also like to thank Stan Niegocki of Niegocki Farms for his help in tending to the animals. If anyone knows one of the first responders who were helping out please forward this to them. They all provide a great service and often don't get thanked enough."
Several area fire departments, including Jamesport, Flanders, Mattituck, Cutchogue, Wading River, Hampton Bays and Eastport, all assisted at the scene.
The fire does not appear to be suspicious in nature at this time, Riverhead police said.
Wells said she, too, isn't sure how the fire started, but said the barn was a large, old, wooden structure and once it sparked, the fire rapidly spread.
