6 horses die in overnight barn fire near Harvard

Six horses were killed when an overnight ravaged a barn near Harvard.

The Harvard Fire Protection District was dispatched at just before midnight Sunday to a “fully involved” barn fire with animals possibly inside.

Within 10 minutes, firefighters arrived to find heavy fire coming from a 50-by-60-feet pole barn and nearing a second, much larger barn.

Because of the remote location – in the 19100 block of Crowley Road, northeast of Harvard and west of the where Crowley intersects with Route 173 – with limited water access, responders upgraded the fire to a second box alarm to bring additional water and personnel, Harvard fire district Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said in a news release.

“Crews deployed multiple hose lines to bring the fire under control while simultaneously establishing rural water operations at the roadway using water tenders and portable tanks,” Vucha said. “Additional personnel focused on protecting the nearby barn and preventing further spread. The main body of fire was contained within approximately 60 minutes.”

Six horses inside the barn did not survive. No other injuries were reported.

More than a dozen firefighting agencies assisted, and personnel remained on the scene for several hours “extinguishing residual hot spots and assisting with the investigation,” Vucha wrote.

The barn and its contents were deemed a complete loss, though a preliminary damage estimate was not available. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Harvard fire district.

The assistance by area departments “underscores the effectiveness and importance of the mutual aid system in managing large-scale rural incidents,” the release said.