Jennifer Muck-Dietrich was glad that she and her husband were home at their Little Egg Farm on Pine Bush Road in Stone Ridge on Labor Day morning when they heard the fire alarm go off around 11 a.m.

Her husband went outside to check where the sound was coming from and quickly came back in to tell her to call 911. The old blacksmith shop where the family stores their eggs and supplies was fully engulfed in flames. After Muck-Dietrich called for help, she went out and put the garden hose on the fire.

As she was doing that a man named Jack who lives on Vincent Lane just around the corner from the Dietrich’s place appeared and told her that she was feeding the fire by putting the hose on it — the fire was evaporating the water which was creating more oxygen for the fire to burn. He told her to hose down the house and a nearby tree. According to Muck-Dietrich, “my glasses melted because the heat was so intense.”

Within minutes, several surrounding fire companies arrived on the scene of what would eventually be a two-alarm fire. They were able to save all of the surrounding buildings and large trees. Firefighters told her that the refrigerator that she used to store the eggs was where the blaze began.

Luckily no people or animals were hurt in the fire although the blacksmith shop was a total loss. “I used that building every day,” Muck-Dietrich said. She doesn’t know who Jack was but assumes that he was a retired fireman and she wants to thank him for his help. She also wants to thank the fire companies that responded and saved the other buildings.

Everyone was so helpful, she said. “That is why we love living here.”

The couple bought their 15-acre farm in 2006; they wanted more land and Muck-Dietrich wanted a garden. Her husband found the house, which was originally built in 1860, on a bicycle ride. They quickly bought the property and Muck-Dietrich soon had her garden. It was so successful that she sold the produce online and through word of mouth. Then they added chickens and geese, and she began selling eggs. They presently have 20 chickens but without her storage shed and refrigeration Muck-Dietrich said, “I don’t know what to do.” But, she added, she is “so thankful that no one was hurt.”

Stone Ridge firefighters were assisted by assets from the High Falls, Kripplebush, Olive, Accord and Marbletown fire departments. To visit the farm’s website, click here.