BETHEL, N.Y. -- Sullivan County dairy farmers are grateful to the community after a fire over the weekend destroys a barn and kills dozens of cows.

Owners of Michel Family Farm say their neighbors came to help after a fire broke out around 6 on Sunday.

At least 20 fire departments responded to the farm in Swan Lake.

While 40 cows were killed, area farmers pitched in to help the 60 surviving cows.

One of the owners says with the dwindling number of family farms helping each other is a way of life.

"There's not many of us left. There’s only 15 or 16 of us left in this whole county. You got to kind of stick together. It’s just the way we are we help each other out,” said Fred Michel.

No official word yet on what caused the fire, but the wife of one of the brothers who runs the farm says her husband was in the barn when the circuit breaker started shooting sparks.

Liberty Constable Joanne Gerow posted photos to Facebook. She says many were saved because neighbors in the area came to help. Local farmers came to help transport the cows away from the scene and house them elsewhere.