'We Are Devastated': Farm Owners Speak Out On Rush To Save Animals After Raging Fire Rips Through LI Barn

RIVERHEAD, NY — Hours after a fire ripped through a barn built more than 60 years ago by the Wells family in Riverhead, owners spoke about the horrifying experience.

"We are devastated," Laura Wells told Patch Thursday morning.

According to Wells, two pigs and 15 chickens were lost in the blaze, but family members and firefighters worked tirelessly to get the other farm animals, including pigs, out of the burning barn and down the hill into a pen by a large sign on the property.

Wells said she was distraught about a post made by the animal advocacy group Humane Long Island: "We met the owner, believed to be Laura Wells, and offered to render aid and pay for two veterinarians who were willing to treat the animals immediately; however, she refused and said 'They're on their way out anyway,' since it's a slaughter farm. This callous attitude is a stark reminder of how animals are treated, or in this case, not treated, in agribusiness, underscoring why we urge everyone to choose vegan," Humane Long Island wrote.

Speaking with Patch beside the ashes of the barn, Wells responded: "These are blatant lies," she said. "I never said that. They need to be held accountable."

Wells said the fact was that Humane Long Island was on the property without permission. And that she and the others "did everything we could to get the animals out. They needed to be left alone last night. They were very stressed — the noise, the smoke — they needed food and a water source. We didn't want to agitate them further by bringing their vets here," she said.

The animals had to be brought down to the pen in the cold, she said, but were fine Thursday morning, as they drank and ate in the pen with no signs of discomfort.

Humane Long Island, Wells said, posted photos without permission of their animals online and, "is using our tragedy to promote veganism."

On the issue of slaughtering the animals, Wells said: "They're making us sound heartless. This is devastating to us. We don't keep them as pets. But we're compassionate, we raise them properly and we care," she said. She added: "We respect that some people don't eat meat — and I welcome you to educate me on your beliefs. But don't push your agenda on me."

The barns, she said, hold deep meaning, her father-in-law built them in the 60s; her mother-in-law is brokenhearted.

Eric Wells, Laura's son, told Patch that his family's tragedy was compounded after a visit to their insurance company, the Roy H. Reeve Agency in Mattituck. "We were late with a payment so they canceled our insurance," he said. "This is a tragedy."

A representative of the agency did not immediately return a request for comment by Patch.

According to Riverhead Town police, at 4:55 p.m., officers responded to a report of a possible structure fire at Wells Farm, located at 4976 Sound Avenue, in Northville.

Upon the arrival, Riverhead patrol officers found that a large portion of the structure was fully engulfed.

Members of the Wells family told police that part of the structure housed a number of farm animals and with their assistance, uniformed officers entered the structure and were able to remove a number of animals to safety, officials said.

The Riverhead Fire Department responded to the scene and due to the size of the fire, they requested assistance from several area departments including the Jamesport Fire Department, Flanders Fire Department, Mattituck Fire Department, Cutchogue Fire Department, Wading River Fire Department, Hampton Bays Fire Department and Eastport Fire Department.

Ridge Fire Department performed standby at the Riverhead Fire House and several of the departments also sent ambulance personnel to the scene.

The Riverhead Fire Marshals Office responded to the scene as well as the Riverhead Police Department's detective division and the Suffolk County Police Department's arson section to conduct an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Sound Avenue remained closed in the area for several hours while fire personnel worked to extinguish the fire. Due to the amount of water that was used to extinguish the fire, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation responded to the scene to monitor water runoff.

A police officer and two civilians were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and subsequently transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center for further treatment, police said.

The structure sustained extensive damage and a number of animals, which included two pigs and 15 chickens, perished in the fire, police said.

Humane Long Island responded to the scene to monitor the condition of the animals that survived the fire.

"We just left the scene of a massive barn fire at our neighbor Wells Farm, right down the road from our sanctuary," Humane Long Island wrote on Facebook, adding that some animals had died, and they believed that others were "suffering from burns, lacerations, and smoke inhalation."

Humane Long Island offered to find homes for any animals that survive, donating animals to a nearby sanctuary.

"Our hearts go out to the animals, the Wells, and everyone affected by this tragedy. Thank you to the brave firefighters who administered oxygen to one of the pigs and who are battling this blaze," they wrote.

The fire does not appear to be suspicious in nature at this time, police said.

According to Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard, nine fire departments responded, Hubbard said. The Wells family was unhurt in the blaze.

Sound Avenue was closed between West Lane and Church Lane due to the blaze; heavy traffic was reported on Main Road, as well. Motorists were asked to use an alternate route.