Manure Spontaneously Ignites, Sparks Fire

67 Goats Die In Blaze

LOS ANGELES -- A fire apparently started when a pile of manure spontaneously ignited scorched a 1-acre Mojave Desert property Tuesday, killing 67 goats.

A neighbor reported the fire Wednesday afternoon and arriving firefighters found a 150--by-20-foot structure and a grassy area ablaze, fire Inspector Ed Osorio said. The fire was extinguished in about 20 minutes.

All the goats on the property were killed, Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control spokeswoman Paula Gerken said. The animals were dead by the time firefighters arrived, Osorio said.

Gerken said the property was a rural residence where the goats were kept in a pen.