Scipio, NY -- Fifty-two cows died in an early morning fire at a farm on Sherwood Road, Scipio, Cayuga County, that started with an electrical problem in a ventilation fan.
The fire was reported in the milking parlor of the Whitten farm at 2 a.m. when the farm worker who was milking cows saw smoke and flames near the ceiling of the milking parlor. She ran out and yelled to Gloria Whitten, whose husband, Gary, and son, Michael, run the farm.
The worker ran from the building yelling 'Gloria, Gloria, fire, fire,' said Gloria Whitten, who did not identify the worker. Gloria was sleeping in a front room of the house right across the street and heard the worker's frantic screams.
The cows that were killed were not milking cows, but 'dry' cows who are not being milked, Gloria Whitten said.
None of the milking cows were killed in the fire, though one had to be euthanized later because of severe burns it received while leaving the milking parlor.
The nearly 270 milkers were sent to Scipio Springs Farm on Mosher Road, Aurora Ridge Farm in Aurora and the Roach Farm on Stewart's Corners Road, Gloria Whitten said. The cows that died in the fire will be buried on the farm. A rendering company came to take away the one that was euthanized.
The farm has Holsteins and Jerseys.
Jim Perkins, a deputy fire coordinator for Cayuga County and training oficer for the Scipio Fire Department, said about 50 to 60 firefighters from 13 departments fought the blaze. The call came in about 2 a.m. and the first firefighters on the scene were there in seven minutes.
No firefighters were injured. The only difficulty fighting the blaze was having enough water.
"We had enough as long as we had everyone there," he said, noting all the departments brought tankers with them.
Those at the fire were: Scipio; Genoa; Aurora; Poplar Ridge; Union Springs; Long Hill; Fleming; Moravia; King Ferry; Sempronius; Lansing; Cayuga and Locke.
While the Whittens are dealing with this tragedy, they have had some joys of late. Gloria Whitten said the first grandchild, a girl, was born two weeks ago in Ithaca. Son Michael is getting married next month in Scipioville and the farm is celebrating 100 years in the Whitten family in December.
Gary Whitten is a member of the Scipio town board.