Barn Fire At Riverside Downs Kills 26 Horses

[luvmytbs]

http://www.news25.us/dsp_story.cfm?storyid=9819&RequestTimeout=500

Barn Fire At Riverside Downs Kills Over Two Dozen Horses
Dated: 11/20/2008 04:45:50 Updated: 11/20/2008 10:45:53
UPDATE 9:32am

HENDERSON, KY - The co-owner of Riverside Downs says 26 horses died in this morning's fire.

A fire broke out in a barn at the old race track around 4:30 AM. Co-owner Mark Bowling says the barn is a total loss, and only a few horses were able to escape.

Investigators are on scene trying to determine what sparked the big fire.
UPDATE 7:23am

HENDERSON, KY - A fire at Riverside Downs has been put out, but now the clean up begins.

Henderson County fire investigators are on the scene now, and Kentucky state fire investigators are on the way.

We were told by owners that the barn held 30 horses at the time of the fire. One owner told us he had five horses housed in the barn, and was only able to save three of them. Handlers say they found four other horses on the grounds. The other horses have not been accounted for.

NEWS 25 will continue to follow this story and bring you updates when we get them.

UPDATE 6:10am

HENDERSON, KY - NEWS 25 learns about 30 horses were inside a barn at Riverside Downs when it caught fire early Thursday morning. Horse handlers & owners tell NEWS 25 the barn had 45 stalls and housed about 30 horses. They say seven of those 30 horses have been found alive, but the other horses have not been accounted for.

Our crew on the scene says the fire is mostly contained, and firefighters are hitting hot spots. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to just the one barn. Officials tell us state fire investigators are on their way to Henderson to start looking for what caused the fire.

Riverside Downs has a history of fires. NEWS 25 has counted four fires in the last five years at the old track. A fire in December of 2003 killed 23 horses. Investigators say a faulty heating element caused the damage. Four people were convicted of arson for setting a fire at Riverside Downs in November of 2005. Six horses were killed in January of this year when an electrical chord for a vending machine sparked a fire.

NEWS 25 is on the scene and will continue to bring you the latest information.

UPDATE 5:25am

HENDERSON, KY - NEWS 25 is on the scene of a barn fire at Riverside Downs in Henderson. Our crew on the scene says Henderson firefighters are busy trying to knock the large fire out.

We haven't been able to talk to any fire officials just yet, but dispatchers tell us there were horses in the barn. No word on how many there may have been in there.

NEWS 25 will continue to update you with any new information.
HENDERSON, KY - NEWS 25 learns Henderson firefighters have been called out to Riverside Downs in Henderson.

Henderson Dispatchers tell us a barn is on fire there. They called fire crews out around 4:30 AM.

We have a crew on the way to the scene and will bring you new information when we get it.

A fire last winter killed six horses at Riverside Downs. Investigators say that fire was started by a vending machine's electrical cord.

[tmo0hul]

From the article at the Bloodhorse.com -
"The Nov. 20 fire marks the fourth in the past five years at Riverside Downs. "

That is pretty sobering - 4 fires in 5 years....

[Texarkana]

That's so awful to hear. Many condolences and jingles for all involved.

I watched a barn I used to work in burn to the ground a few years back. It was an absolutely horrific sight. :(

[DickHertz]

It's actually 27 horses that passed away.

[Glimmerglass]

It's actually 27 horses that passed away.

Daily Racing Form 11-20-08 "Fire kils 29 horses in western Kentucky" (http://drf.com/news/article/100033.html)

Twenty-nine horses have been reported killed in another barn fire at Riverside Downs, a Thoroughbred training facility in western Kentucky. The fire was the fourth in five years at Riverside, located just a few miles from Ellis Park in northern Henderson County, Ky.

Some of the horses that perished in the fire had raced in recent months on the Kentucky circuit, including Kept Lady, winner of a $15,000 claiming race Sunday. At least six trainers lost horses in the fire: Benjie Larue, Bobby Larue, Shirley Greene, Kenny Miller, Jerry Joe Greenwell, and Kim Nesbitt.

Four survived

"One of the horses I got out myself was Countess Katie," who was scheduled to race Friday at Churchill but has been scratched, said Larue. "She got all her hair singed off, but otherwise she's okay."

:( Such a horrible occurance. WTF with it being the 4th fire in five years? Something is wrong there.

[texang73]

Agreed Glimmer, WTF is up with 4 fires in 5 years?!? :eek: You couldn't PAY me to keep horses there with that kind of history...

[DickHertz]

2 were electrical and 1 was arsen.

[COinNJ]

Okay, then. THAT PLACE NEEDS TO BE SHUTDOWN! I'm assuming they, and most tracks, don't have sprinkler systems, fire alarms, anything else that might prevent this kind of thing?

4 FIRES IN 5 YEARS?!:mad:

[War Admiral]

This story actually made the national news - I heard it on NPR - but sadly there was NO mention of the prior fires. I'm sort of thinking I should e-mail them. I agree w/ whoever said something is wrong there.

[Glimmerglass]

Minor point but unlike the DRF's tally at 29 the BloodHorse is still saying 27 horses perished.

I'm not sure why but this one mention was particularly sad:

Some of the horses that perished include a 25-year-old pony; a Glitterman filly named Kept Lady who had won a race at Churchill Nov. 16; and the Stinson-trained Survita, who captured a race at Hoosier Park Nov. 19. Survita was brought back to her stall at about 2 a.m. but perished in the fire just two and a half hours later.

Although Stinson arrived at the scene too late to save Survita, his discovered that another one of his horses had charged through the webbing in her stall and escaped the flames on her own.

“She had a blanket on, and the blanket was actually on fire,” said Larue. “She got some light burns on her withers, but she’s alright. She actually crashed through the webbing to save herself, which is very unusual. Most of them usually cower in their stalls because that’s where they feel the safest.”

[luvmytbs]

It is scary that tracks, including the upper class ones, do not have sprinkler systems in their barns.

[solargal]

Some of the horses that perished include a 25-year-old pony; a Glitterman filly named Kept Lady who had won a race at Churchill Nov. 16; and the Stinson-trained Survita, who captured a race at Hoosier Park Nov. 19. Survita was brought back to her stall at about 2 a.m. but perished in the fire just two and a half hours later.

Although Stinson arrived at the scene too late to save Survita, his discovered that another one of his horses had charged through the webbing in her stall and escaped the flames on her own.

“She had a blanket on, and the blanket was actually on fire,” said Larue. “She got some light burns on her withers, but she’s alright. She actually crashed through the webbing to save herself, which is very unusual. Most of them usually cower in their stalls because that’s where they feel the safest.”

I heard about this. I just ran against Survita Wednesday night. I didn't know she was one of the ones in the blaze. This is a horrible tragedy.

[WhiteCamry]

Minor point but unlike the DRF's tally at 29 the BloodHorse is still saying 27 horses perished.

I'm not sure why but this one mention was particularly sad:

Although Stinson arrived at the scene too late to save Survita, his discovered that another one of his horses had charged through the webbing in her stall and escaped the flames on her own.

“She had a blanket on, and the blanket was actually on fire,” said Larue. “She got some light burns on her withers, but she’s alright. She actually crashed through the webbing to save herself, which is very unusual. Most of them usually cower in their stalls because that’s where they feel the safest."

Any idea which horse that was? Sounds like she has gumption to pass on.