Some 44 horses were killed and one person seriously injured when a fire engulfed a horse barn Saturday in Logan County, Ohio.
Brant Performance Horses near Belle Center, Ohio, about an hour northwest of Columbus, used a barn that measured about 60,0000 square feet and stabled about 85 horses. It also featured a performing area for the horses and a living space for employees.
Firefighters from Logan, Hardin and Union counties worked together to extinguish the barn fire, according to Jason Johns, assistant fire chief of the Richland Township Fire Department.
The fire was first noticed around noon Saturday by a Brant Performance Horses employee, according to Cathy Brant of Brant Performance Horses.
The burnt barn that measured 60,000 square feet belonged to Brant Performance Horses.
Cathy Brant
“An employee was in the barn, saw smoke and yelled fire,” Brant told ABC News. She said an explosion occurred only seconds later and generated a larger fire.
Eric Priest, owner of Priest Performances Horses in Belle Center, who kept some of his horses at the barn, ran inside to attempt to free the horses and was caught in the explosion. He sustained second- and third-degree burns to his arms, back and head, according to Brant, and faces possible surgery.
Firefighters were at the scene for about 12 hours on Saturday. “Slowly but surely we were getting the fire to calm down,” Johns told ABC News. “The building was already starting to collapse and it wasn’t safe to enter.”
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Four employees lived in the building and lost everything, Brant said.
A close-up of burnt metal after the Brant Performance Horses’ barn caught fire.
Cathy Brant
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
A GoFundMe page created for the owners of Brant Performance Horses had raised just over $235,000 as of Monday afternoon, while two GoFundMe pages created for the owners of Priest Performance Horses had together raised nearly $40,000 by Monday afternoon.
“The amount of the support is incredible,” said Brant, who added that the money will be used to rebuild the property. In the meantime, the business will operate out of another barn 40 minutes north, she said.
A tragic barn fire in Ohio has left 44 horses dead and one person injured. The devastating incident occurred at a horse farm in the town of Springfield, where the barn went up in flames in the early hours of the morning.
The fire quickly spread through the wooden structure, trapping the horses inside. Despite the efforts of firefighters who arrived on the scene, the blaze was too intense to save the animals. The owner of the farm, who was inside the barn at the time of the fire, suffered burns and smoke inhalation while trying to rescue the horses.
The loss of so many horses in a single incident has left the local community in shock and mourning. The horses were beloved by their owners and caretakers, and their deaths have had a profound impact on all who knew them.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but early reports suggest that it may have been sparked by an electrical issue. The barn did not have a sprinkler system, which could have helped to contain the fire and save the animals.
This tragic event serves as a reminder of the importance of fire safety measures on farms and in barns. It is crucial for all horse owners to have proper fire prevention measures in place, such as smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and evacuation plans.
In the wake of this devastating loss, the community has come together to support the owner of the farm and mourn the loss of the horses. A memorial service is being planned to honor the memory of the beloved animals.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic barn fire in Ohio. May the horses rest in peace, and may their memory live on in the hearts of those who loved them.
