The fire broke out in the upper floor of the barn over the heads of the animals.

Around 25 firefighters from three stations worked to put out the blaze, but the fate of the animals was sealed before fire crews arrived on the scene.

The animals’ owner and a neighbour discovered the fire and did their best to fight the flames with the fire extinguishers and water they had on hand.

According to the fire crews, the pair’s efforts likely stopped the fire from spreading to the farm’s other buildings.

It remains unclear how long the fire had burned in before being discovered.

The fire consisted primarily of embers and small sparks resulting from the burning hay in the barn’s upper floor. It was the smoke, rather than the flames, which took the animals’ lives.