A fire at a livestock barn on the University of Connecticut Storrs campus killed six sheep instead of the four originally announced on Saturday, according to the university spokesperson.
Spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said in an email Tuesday that two of the sheep were adults and four were lambs. The investigation of the fire’s origin is still being conducted by the UConn Fire Marshal’s Unit, according to Reitz.
The fire occurred in Livestock Unit I which typically houses about 90 ewes (female sheep) and 45 beef cows which are used at the Department of Animal Science for teaching, research and community extension programs, according to Reitz.
The barn is not open to the public, but visitors are able to use outdoor paddocks in Livestock Unit I from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the Department of Animal Science’s website. Schools also frequently schedule field trips to visit the barns.
The damaged portion of the barn is not being used while repairs are planned, according to Reitz. She added that staff are working to ensure the wellbeing of the animals and rearrange their housing in other parts of the facility.
“The fire has not significantly impacted education, research, or extension activities in the department,” Reitz said, referring to the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources.
Firefighters at UConn were alerted of the fire around 8 p.m. and arrived with assistance from Coventry’s and Mansfield’s mutual aid crews. The response team was able to extinguish the fire before the barn was heavily damaged, according to Reitz.
It is not currently known if anybody was in the barn when the fire broke out, according to WFSB.
An alarm system that activated in the barn shortly after 8 p.m. helped fire officials quickly respond and extinguish the barn fire before any significant damage occurred, according to Reitz.