Heather Wright/The Independent

The community has stepped up to help a St. Clair Township family who lost their barn over the weekend.

Just before 6 am Saturday, a driver noticed a pole barn on fire on Courtright Line and called 911.

While no one was injured in the fire on the family farm, a calf and some chickens were lost in the fire. The barn owned by Andy and Laurel Ysebaert was destroyed at an estimated loss of $350,000. 

Laurel – who has an online following of 407,000 followers online – posted photos of the fire Saturday saying “We are devastated… right now, my focus is on the safety and wellbeing of our animals and on trying to figure out how we can move forward from this enormous loss.”

The family is in the middle of calving season and the barn played a key role in that. 

Friends started a Go-Fund-Me campaign to help saying the Ysebaert’s insurance was not as good as they expected. “Anyone who knows them knows how much care and dedication they put into their animals and their farm every single day. This loss is not only emotional but also financial, as they now face the cost of cleanup, rebuilding, and replacing supplies and livestock,” wrote Ashley Hill. 

By Tuesday, “overwhelmed by the love and generosity shown” after raising nearly $210,000, the organizers closed online donations.