PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — A major fire that happened Sunday just after 3:30 a.m. in Prince William County caused hundreds of animals to lose their lives.
Ultimately, officials say 500 chickens and ducks, along with four dogs and three pigs perished.
"They were such loving dogs. And it's hard to say goodbye to them. And all at once," said Katelynn Barbour, 16, who looked out her family's back door early Sunday morning and saw flames shooting from their barn as high as she could see. "Even the chickens and pigs. I got the pigs at an auction and they were mine. So it's really like unbelievable to know it's all gone," she said.
County fire department personnel were dispatched to the 15000 block of Lee Highway in Gainesville after a passerby reported a house fire.
Once crews arrived, they found a barn located on their property and they quickly discovered that animals were inside. However, it became clear, officials said, they could not be saved due to the volume of the fire.
A stranger noticed the flames, called 911, and then banged on the family's door to alert them. Michael Barbour thinks the stranger may have saved the family's lives. They suspect the flames would have spread to their home if firefighters hadn't arrived within 15 minutes.
Katelynn said her one surviving dog, Pandora, had been acting strangely late that night, but she ignored it. She's convinced now that the dog knew something was wrong.
Killed in the blaze were Bri, a German Shepherd, 8; her pup, Cyrus, 2; Jazz, a Great Pyrenees, and her two puppies, Grizzley and Queenie.
Katelynn said they named the Pyrenees Jazz because she used to wriggle and dance around all the time.
In the ashes, Michael Barbour says he found a partially burned Bible, opened to Jeremiah 33:3 "‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
He'd been feeling lonely and depressed without all his animals. But he says finding the Bible has restored his faith and convinced him he has to start over.
The family is renting the home and doesn't have any insurance. They've set up a GoFundMe to try and get back on their feet.
As firefighters worked to tame the blaze, Lee Highway was closed for half an hour. The barn was left destroyed, according to firefighters, and the cause was determined to be accidental.
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