A GoFundMe has been set up to assist Jesse and Judy Bachik, whose barn was destroyed by fire Thursday in Portage. Courtesy photo

A barn fire about 8 p.m. Thursday night in Portage destroyed the structure and killed multiple farm animals. Equipment, including two side-by-sides and snowmobiles, along with personal belongings, were destroyed when the large barn became engulfed in flames and collapsed.

The barn, owned by Jesse and Judy Bachik, was the center of their family and where they raised animals, sold eggs and vegetables, butchered pigs, made sausage and welcomed friends and neighbors, according to a post on the fundraising site GoFundMe.

“Jesse and Judy Bachik have always poured their hearts into their farm, caring for their animals, growing produce, and sharing the fruits of their labor with everyone around them. Their barn was more than just a building — it was the center of their daily life,” states Brody Batdorf in the account post he created to help the family. As of Friday evening, nearly $2,000 of the $7,000 goal had been raised.

The barn was uninsured, and the loss is total — affecting every part of their lives and livelihood, the post states.

While many animals were killed in the blaze, a few cows, pigs and turkeys survived, according to Danea Speck-Evans, who posted the update on Facebook.

Multiple Blair and Cambria county fire departments responded to the fire on the 4000 block of Johnstown Road (Route 164), where tankers were used to transport water from a nearby fill station.

A state fire marshal was investigating the blaze.