May 18--Dozens of goats died in a barn fire in Shelbyville on Saturday morning.
Jeff Ivers, assistant chief of the Shelby County Fire Department, said "the barn was totally engulfed" in flames when firefighters arrived.
He said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it is believed that the blaze was sparked by a heat lamp being used to keep newborn goats warm.
A passerby saw the flames and notified the homeowner. Firefighters were called at 6:06 a.m.
Kathy Mejia, who owned the goats, said about 55 female and baby goats and about five male goats were killed, according to WKYT-TV, the Herald-Leader's reporting partner.
Mejia told the television station that she was able to save about a dozen billy goats.
She said her family raised the goats for milk, which they used to make cheese and soap that they sold.
The livestock and the barn were not insured, Ivers said.
Karla Ward: (859) 231-3314. Twitter: @HLpublicsafety
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