A barn full of livestock in Belmont County burst into flames Friday, and one local man rushed into the fire to try to pull the animals to safety.
When Ron Graham noticed the flames, he said he crawled inside and managed to rescue 17 cows as the barn became totally engulfed by flames. The fire started Friday afternoon at a barn on Little Captina Road, just outside of Powhatan Point.
Fire crews worked hard to battle the blaze. In fact, tanker trucks from across state lines in West Virginia had to be brought in because there was no water line accessible in that part of the county.
Investigators aren't sure what ignited the blaze but said they believe some dry hay near the back section of the barn caught fire and spread to numerous bails of hay in seconds comma which made it especially hard to control.
Graham said he knew those cows were inside and he rushed in to try and save them by pulling them out one by one.
"I knew they were in there, and I knew I had to try something, at least say I tried. They had no chance if I didn't get them . The would have been done," said Graham.
Graham was treated on scene for smoke inhalation but is expected to be OK. However, the barn is a total loss.
Belmont County Commissioners said they have been working on a solution to bring a water line to that section of the county for some time now. It's a multi-million dollar project, and a Friday's incident was a prime example of why it's important.
