Two Riverside High School students returning home from lunch on their day off school Monday, Feb. 20, were able to work together, alongside several other community members, during a barn fire at a rural Bellefontaine residence to save a calf that was penned up in the blaze.
Sophomores Jayden Hoffer and Zoie Armbruster were riding together along County Road 43 on Presidents’ Day, when Jayden said they spotted smoke in the area of the 2160 C.R. 43 residence.
“After we passed the house, I saw flames around the barn, and I asked Zoie to go back to the house to see if we could help.”
Jayden said she immediately called 911 and related that another family had also stopped at the residence to try to help out as well. Property owners Nicholas and Cortney Oakley initially were not home at the time the fire was spotted around 12:20 p.m., but came home shortly thereafter.
Firefighters from West Liberty and Bellefontaine fire departments were able to quickly dispatch the barn fire. Firefighters reported a quick knock-down on the fire, which mitigated extensive damage to the barn.
Both Zoie and Jayden were informed by the others at the property about the animal that was trapped near the fire and the teen girls were able to aid the young calf.
“I was able to unhook the calf, and we were able to lead it to the pasture where the feeder steers were,” said Jayden, who is a 4-H member and also shows steers at the Logan County Fair. “Then we tried to keep all of the steers and the calf on the far side of the pasture away from the fire while the firefighters were there working.”
The teens said the homeowners were most grateful for their assistance in saving the calf.
“It felt really good that we could help out,” Jayden said.
In addition, the West Liberty Fire Department officials expressed appreciation via Facebook regarding the community’s response to the blaze.
“We wish to thank our neighboring departments for assistance as well as the neighbors who were able to release a small calf that was in the pen where the fire occurred, thus saving it from being injured. We appreciate the community and all the different aspects of assistance they provide. It takes a strong community to help make a strong department.”