HOLLAND TWP. — A group of locals rushed to save animals during a fully involved barn fire at Nelis' Dutch Village early Thursday. 

"It was crazy," said local third-shifter David Brown, who smelled smoke during his visit to Planet Fitness. "I told the worker, and he started looking at the tanning beds, thinking one of them might be on fire. I opened the door and looked outside, and it was foggy and smoky. I followed and then I saw."

It was a small flame at first, Brown said, but grew quickly. After shooting some video and watching animals run from the barn, Brown realized they weren't getting very far.

"They were trapped in the (pens) closest to the barn," he said. "Another young lady from the gym came out, and other people came out, and we jumped over the fences and tried to figure out where the openings were. It was hard, we were panicked. We tore up a couple and figured it out.

"But once we got them open, the animals were afraid. In the end, we started tossing sheep and goats over fences. People were helping to herd or corral the animals, and then the fire department got there and stepped in and took care of the fire."

Another local resident, John Westra, told The Sentinel he rescued five sheep, three goats, two lambs and a llama. According to his son, Westra pulled onto the shoulder of U.S.-31 after seeing the fire, grabbed a bag of tools from his car and attempted to cut through the fence with wire cutters. When that failed, he used his bare hands.

Westra said deputies from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office assisted in saving animals before firefighters arrived. 

The fire was reportedly contained to the barn and extinguished around 1:30 a.m. While bystanders and deputies saved as many animals as possible, business owner Joe Nelis told The Sentinel some didn't make it.

"We don't know how many yet," he said. "We work with a local farmer and we've got to catch up with them and figure out some things. But certainly, there were chickens and rabbits in pens inside the barn."

Still, Nelis and his team are grateful for everything locals did.

 "We do appreciate the efforts of the people working out at Planet Fitness to jump the fence and save some of the animals," he said. "That was great."

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Nelis' Dutch Village — located at 12350 James St. — has been a staple for visitors for decades. The business has recently undergone renovations, including the removal of several buildings near James Street and the creation of a new parking lot. The changes are part of a five-year plan for new buildings and attractions.

Nelis said the business will be closed "for a little while."

"We have to clean up the damage and make everything safe, and that's going to take a little bit," he said. "Right now, we're waiting on inspectors and insurance adjusters to try to figure out where we're going."

— Contact reporter Cassandra Lybrink at cassandra.lybrink@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Instagram @BizHolland.