A fast-moving fire ripped through a barn at an animal rescue in Montgomery County early Wednesday morning, killing dozens of animals and injuring several others.
"Sheer panic because I knew I couldn't run in there after them," said Erin Wiggle, who owns House of Wiggle Goats.
Wiggle said she woke up to the sound of sirens and every farm owner's worst nightmare. The main barn near her home, which houses dozens of animals, was engulfed in flames.
"I knew the doors were open and if they could've gotten out, they could, but unfortunately, the floor fell and we did lose quite a few animals when the floor fell on them," Wiggle said.
The fire sparked at the House of Wiggle Goats, an animal rescue and sanctuary on Weber Road in Lansdale, around 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Wiggle said a driver on the turnpike called 911, but the damage was already done. About 40 animals remain unaccounted for and likely did not survive.
"I'm looking at the groups and I'm seeing that this one's friend is not with them, so it's starting to register the specific animals that have been lost," she said.
About a dozen animals are now being treated for burns and smoke inhalation at PennVet's New Bolton Center Campus and Quakertown's Vet Hospital.
Wiggle and her husband started the animal rescue about eight years ago, caring for goats, chickens, pigs and other animals.
The barn, built in 1857, has been left gutted.
"The ups, the downs, but I'm going to say this community has come together like nothing I've ever seen before," Wiggle said.
Volunteers from nearby farms and other rescues have been collecting donations and dropping off supplies, and they launched a fundraising campaign to help Wiggle care for the animals that survived.
"I rescue pigs also. It's a very tight-knit community, so we all know each other, and it's just devastating what happened here, and we're trying to save as many animals as we can," said Allyson Stephens.
"The good is going to outweigh the bad, and we're going to rebuild, and we're going to keep at it," Wiggle said.
Wiggle added that investigators told her the fire was likely electrical in nature and appeared accidental, but the exact cause remains under investigation.
Ryan Hughes
Ryan Hughes joined CBS News Philadelphia in June 2022. He previously worked at WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he's covered stories ranging from weeks on the Surfside condo collapse, to the impact of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, and the Super Bowl in Miami.