ALLOWAY TWP. -- Trooper James McKay was responding to reports of a structure fire when he heard screaming and bleating from a barn.

Smoke was billowing from the structure and a trip of goats was trapped inside.

"I just wanted to try and bring them to safety," said McKay, of the New Jersey State Police Woodstown Barracks.

The fire occurred Feb. 20 at a farm on Commissioners Pike in Alloway Township, just after 1 p.m.

A neighbor arrived on the scene as well to see if he could help. They opened up the barn door to ventilate it.

"We made entry and me and the neighbor began to go into the barn and bring the animals out as fast as we could," McKay said.

The caretaker of the goats came out soon and helped with the goats.

McKay didn't want them to venture too far into the barn because of the smoke, he explained, but they eventually got all of the animals out.

Alloway Township Fire Co. responded to the scene. A portion of Commissioners Pike was closed to traffic while authorities responded to the scene.

"The help of the neighbor, the Alloway Township fire department and my squad mates, as well as the caretaker of the animals -- I couldn't do it without them," McKay said.

He felt good about saving the goats, he added, but felt it was something any trooper would have done in the same position.

The cause of the fire has been deemed accidental.

Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@southjerseymedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.