Pet Goose Alerts Family to Barn Fire, Helping Save 60 Birds

Q: What sparked the sudden midnight blaze that nearly claimed 60 animals before a pet bird sounded the alert?

The cause of the fire had not been determined. Reports on the Gerber family’s barn fire in Richmond, Texas, say the blaze started suddenly in the middle of the night, but authorities and the family had not identified what sparked it. Coverage from Storyful, USA TODAY and local outlet KHOU all noted that it was not immediately known how the barn caught fire. What is clear is that the fire broke out inside the barn while roughly 60 turkeys and chickens were sleeping there. Goosey, the family’s pet goose, made unusually loud honking noises, rushed out, and alerted Bert Gerber, giving the family enough time to respond. Gerber then used a water hose to help put out the flames before the blaze spread further. As of the available reporting, all animals were accounted for and safe, but the ignition source remained unknown.

3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Aug 16

Bert Gerber woke to an unusually loud honking from his pet goose, Goosey, and stepped outside to find the family barn burning.
About 60 sleeping turkeys and chickens were inside the barn, and the goose’s alarm helped the family act in time to save dozens of birds.
Gerber said he had never heard Goosey honk before, making the forceful nighttime warning the key signal that something was wrong.