STRAFFORD, MO. – Over 60 animals were killed in a barn fire in Greene County just outside of Strafford, Missouri on Monday. The animals killed were mostly goats, but also included a horse, a dog and multiple cats.

Fire crews responded to the scene just after 5 a.m. on Monday. Someone passing by the East Division St. and Missouri 125 intersection noticed the fire and called for help.

The property was rented and run by Susie Carriere, who operates Mountain View Dairy Goats out of the barn.

“I milked them and, you know, we bred them and raised the babies,” a highly emotional Carriere told Ozarksfirst.com, adding that she considered the goats her babies. She said it would take her a while to get more goats, since so much money and equipment was lost in the fire.

Fire investigators are trying to determine how the fire started and how it got so out of control. There were some heating elements in the barn that could have started the fire, but because of the amount of damage done, investigators say the exact cause of the fire may never be found. 

“We’ve got some heat sources that we’re trying to rule out right now in causing the fire,” Strafford Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Rusty Darnell said to Ozarksfirst.com. “We’ve got several things to look for right now. It’s going to be under investigation for a little bit, but again it was a total loss.”

Darnell emphasized that heating sources in barns need to be well-maintained and placed so they do not cause a fire.