SEYMOUR (NBC 26) — Three horses died and a barn was destroyed in a fire Friday morning at Harvest Hill Family Farm in Seymour.
At Harvest Hill, the animals are part of the family. So, when a fire started in the barn on Friday morning and trapped the animals inside, Harvest Hill Owner, Dawn Eversard, ran in to free them.
“The gate was locked, so she ripped off the gate and most of them took off running," Dawn's niece, Heather Zeuske, says. “She used all of her might, she couldn’t see two feet in front of her.”
Zeuske says her aunt was able to save all of the animals except three horses.
“It was extremely hard for her to lose those animals," Zeuske says. “This is her life here, so it’s hard to walk into this seeing that they’re true farmers that care about the family and the farm. It’s a devastating loss.”
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The barn is destroyed, and they lost more than 3,600 bales of hay, according to Zeuske.
“We stood there and said, I’m watching my life flash away, so it’s very emotional," Zeuske says.
Harvest Hill Family Farm opened in 2018.
“It’s not a hobby farm anymore, it’s part of the family," Zeuske says.
Admission to the farm is free to the public.
Zeuske says providing affordable, family-friendly entertainment is important to Dawn and her husband, Tom Everard.
“They put their right foot forward in everything that they do," Zeuske says.
Zeuske says they will begin the cleanup process on Friday night. The farm is closed this weekend, but Zeuske says Tom hopes to reopen next week.
“He knows that’s a huge income for them and that he can’t afford to lose that," she says.
Zeuske says the best way the community can support the family during this time is by following updates on their social media, and coming to visit once they reopen.
“It’s sad. It’s very sad," she says.
