A barn fire in rural Georgia took the lives of 26 horses Sunday, officials said.
The Forsyth County Fire Department indicated the fire had already ravaged the horses and their homes, a series of stables in the barn, by the time first responders arrived.
“The fire was well advanced, and it was determined that the fire had been burning for a prolonged time before being discovered by the first 911 callers,” the department said in a statement.
No human injuries were reported.
The address corresponds to Blue Springs Farm, a facility that offers training for equestrian competition, hosts horse-riding summer camps and provides boarding for horses, according to its website.
It has 32 stalls, the site says. A principal at the facility did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
An engine company was dispatched to area of the barn, in northwest Forsyth County, based on a report of smoke in the area, the Forsyth County Fire Department said.
As the firefighters were en route, the fire department fielded multiple additional calls confirming fire at the location, it said. The blaze was raging when first responders got there, the fire department said.
“The crew encountered a fully involved large barn containing multiple horse stalls,” it said.
Firefighters assumed a defensive stance until the fire burned the structure to the ground, the fire department said.
“Lost in the fire were 26 horses that were boarded at the facility,” it said. “The barn itself is also a total loss.”
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
