Reports indicate a barn fire just outside Mount Forest, Ont. claimed the lives of at least 12 Arabian horses on Thursday night.
The fire broke out at a private barn. According to Mount Forest fire chief Dave Guilbault, one or more horses did escape the blaze and one person was taken to hospital for precautionary purposes due to "smoke inhalation and anxiety."
A nearby house was sheltered from the blaze by a water curtain.
Early reports have yet to pinpoint the cause of the blaze, but Guilbault told The Canadian Press that the speculative cause of the blaze at this stage is a tractor that might have caught on fire. The Ontario Fire Marshal's office has been called in to investigate.
This blaze in Mount Forest -- just northwest of Guelph, Ont, -- is the second such event in the first half of the month. The harness racing industry is still reeling from the barn fire at Classy Lane Training Centre in Puslinch, Ont. that claimed the lives of 43 horses on Monday, Jan. 4.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to those affected by this tragedy.
What a terrible time for so
What a terrible time for so many. If there is a gofundme for these people please let us know. Everyone has done so well for our harness friends perhaps we can share a little of it.
So sorry for those affected
So sorry for those affected by this devastating fire. Arabian horses are truly people loving horses. Those who have ever worked with them will understand the great affection that exists between these horses and the people who care for them.
...Lynn and Max