Calf birthed as Ringwood barn burned, fire official says

A cow, missing after a fire Tuesday evening at a large storage barn in Ringwood, was feared dead, but those fears ended up being unfounded.

Not only did no animals die as a result of the fire at C&S Farms, the dairy farm actually gained a bovine, as the cow feared dead was discovered later in the day to have given birth to a calf during the inferno, McHenry Township Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Steven Spraker said.

The calf was aptly named “Firetruck,” he said.

“I can’t make this stuff up,” Spraker said.

The blaze took place at C&S Farms in the 6000 block of Barnard Mill Road, according to a news release.

Fire crews were called to the scene about 9 p.m. Tuesday and when they arrived, they could see fire from a large storage barn about 65 feet by 150 feet in size, the department said.

Crews began “an aggressive attack” on the fire and requested assistance from several surrounding agencies using the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, according to the release. There were no fire hydrants, so water had to be brought in using water tenders.

Livestock at the farm had to transported away from the scene using transport trailers from other facilities during the incident, the department said. There were no injuries to any first responders or civilians, Battalion Chief Mike Majercik said.

The barn was a total loss, Majercik said. A damage estimate was not available Wednesday morning and the cause will be under investigation Wednesday now that daylight is available.

The fire led to the temporary closure of Barnard Mill Road between South Ridgeway Road and Inmans Way, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said in an alert Tuesday evening. The closure was expected to last for “several hours.”

The road has since reopened, a spokesman said Wednesday morning.

The McHenry Township Fire Protection District was assisted by fire departments from Richmond, Spring Grove, Wonder Lake, Fox Lake, Crystal Lake, Wauconda, Woodstock, Fox River Grove, Hebron, Harvard, Marengo, Cary, Huntley, Nunda Rural, Lake Villa, Antioch and Union along with Twin Lakes and Bloomfield, Wisconsin.