An off-duty firefighter is being credited with saving over two dozen birds in a shed fire Friday night, according to the Catskill Fire Company, Inc. The incident reportedly occurred at a property on Route 9W southbound just before 7:55 p.m.
According to shed owner and Catskill firefighter Rich Overbaugh, the structure housed 40 birds, including turkeys, chickens and hatchling ducks. After being woken by his dad, the 21-year-old recalled looking out the kitchen window, seeing the flames and immediately running outside.
Overbaugh had his gear and an air pack in his pickup truck thanks to recently attending fire school. He quickly put on the equipment and went into the shed, pushing out as many birds as he could, he said.
โI didnโt put a second thought to it,โ Overbaugh told NEWS10. โThatโs the guts you have to have as a firefighter.โ
In total, the 21-year-old firefighter saved about 30 birds from the shed.
