A Wyoming family lost their historic barn and all of their pregnant ewes in an early morning fire nearly a month ago.
On May 5, 2025, on the family ranch near Wright, Wyoming, Guy Edwards and his wife, Anna, went out to check ewes in the lambing barn at midnight. About 170 of Guy’s pregnant ewes were bedded down for the night. All of the ewes looked content, and everything seemed perfectly normal, so Guy and Anna went off to bed. Around 5:15 a.m., Guy’s cousin called Debbie, Guy’s mother, to let her know that it looked like the barn was on fire. Debbie then called Guy around 5:30 a.m., saying that the barn was engulfed with flames.
Guy’s father Rich then went out to the barn, but by the time he got there, he couldn’t even walk inside, due to the enormous amount of smoke. By this time, they knew the ewes were already lost to the fire. Firefighters arrived on scene to ensure the fire was out and helped the Edwards clean up the debris. The family is still unsure of what exactly caused the fire. “There was not a single heat lamp in the barn,” Guy said. There also weren’t any storms that night, so lightning can’t be blamed. “The only thing that was different from all the other nights, was that I left the light on,” Guy said.
Eighty of Rich’s ewes were soon to be brought into the barn, but Rich and Guy are grateful they had waited on moving them. Rich still has about 600 head of ewes, whereas Guy now only has a small number of yearling ewes, which won’t be lambing this year. There will be no lambs hitting the ground this year in Guy’s flock. Not only did Guy lose all of his bred ewes and two years’ worth of income, he lost years of high-quality genetics, in which he took great pride.
Guy’s sheep program is the result of many years of careful breeding. He kept extensive records of all of his sheep and knew the genetics of each one. The only genetics left are of his yearling ewes, which he had planned on selling. His plans may have to change in order to keep some of the genetics.
“They weren’t just livestock, they were family. I depended on them and they depended on me,” Guy said. Guy had a bond with those ewes, handfeeding them before he left, and could tell you the ear tag number and age of each ewe that was in that barn. All of the ewes will be greatly missed and Guy is thankful to them for everything they’ve provided for him in the past.
The U.S. sheep industry is declining, as there are only about 5 million head of sheep, significantly less than the 51 million in the late 1800s, so this loss hits even harder. Guy plans to grow his flock again, while maintaining the high-quality genetics in which he takes great pride. The sheep industry may be declining, but that makes Guy even more determined to overcome all the challenges he and his family have faced and continue moving forward.
The Edwards family also lost their 60’x200' family barn that has been part of their family for three generations of sheep ranchers. The barn was built in the late 1940s and was purchased in 1952 by Guy’s grandfather, who then built onto the original barn in the 1960s. There was priceless history and heritage within those walls. The barn meant a great deal to Guy and his family, having grown up with it. Guy is concerned about his parents’ loss and his goal is to rebuild the barn for them.
Guy, along with Anna, Rich and Debbie, are devastated by the loss. They are all still trying to navigate how to proceed. The community has come together to support the Edwards family. Donations toward the rebuilding of the family barn are being accepted through First National Bank of Gillette, under “Edwards Family Relief Fund.” Financial assistance for the family can be sent to the mailing address below.
First National Bank of Gillette
P.O. Box 3002
Gillette, WY 82717-3002