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Witnesses, including state senator, rescue kids and animals from burning barn

Cell phone video taken by State Senator Scott Martin showing an Amish-owned barn in Lancaster County up in flames. “You talk about being in the right place at t...

Cell phone video taken by State Senator Scott Martin showing an Amish-owned barn in Lancaster County up in flames.

“You talk about being in the right place at the right time. Typically I’m doing my senate work. But yesterday my wife had a doctor’s appointment that I was going to to take her to,” said Martin.

Martin says they were early for the appointment, and took the scenic route down 372 towards Quarryville when they saw kids running out of an Amish schoolhouse trying to flag down help.

“Maybe a six or seven year old boy ran up to her and the first thing he said to her was, ‘I can’t get the two horses out of the barn.' And meanwhile, this fire is spreading. There’s hay up there, it’s getting bigger. And then he goes, ‘And my brothers and sisters are still in the house.’ And the house was maybe 15 feet from the barn," said Martin.

The little boy told Martin his mother ran up the street to find help since they didn’t have a phone in the home.

He called 911 and then ran into the house to get the kids before running into the burning barn to get the horses.

“That’s that family’s investment and their livelihood. That’s how they get around,” said Martin.

Martin says he was overwhelmed by how many people actually stopped to offer a hand during the scary situation until fire companies arrived.

“To see these people in our community and even from another state, they didn’t have to be there, they didn’t have to run into that barn either or help out. They took it upon themselves to help their fellow man. To me that was very uplifting, and thinking about there’s a lot of good out there in the world and people who do care and want to make a difference," said Martin.

Thanks to those people, in addition to the several volunteer fire companies that responded, everyone, including the animals, escaped safely.

We spoke with the Quarryville Fire Department on the phone, and they say while they appreciate the help from everyone involved, they want to remind people it is not safe to run into a burning building without proper training or equipment.

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