The cause of a barn fire that killed 17 horses and rocked a tight-knit horse racing community in upstate New York remained under investigation Wednesday.
The fire started early Tuesday at a barn located in the backstretch area of the Saratoga Casino Hotel Harness Track. By the time firefighters arrived at approximately 2:30 a.m., the barn was engulfed in flames.
“Due to the advanced fire conditions, crews initiated a defensive fire attack” before the blaze spread to other nearby barns in the area, according to the Saratoga Springs Fire Department.
Eighteen racehorses were inside the barn when the fire broke out. One horse managed to escape and sustained minor injuries; the remaining horses perished in the fire, the Saratoga Casino Hotel and the Saratoga Harness Horsepersons Association said Tuesday in a joint statement.
“This is a sobering day in our industry, a horse person’s worst nightmare,” said Henry Westbrook, president of the association. “We express our deep condolences.”
The fire was contained to the one barn, which completely burned down, and did not spread further.
Close to 350 horses are typically housed in the backstretch area where the fire occurred. There, the Saratoga Casino Hotel runs a harness racing track, where competitors steer their horses from a trailing two-wheeled cart.
The Saratoga Harness Horsepersons Association said the horses killed in the fire belonged to trainers Robyn Mangiardi and Timothy Benson, both of whom stabled their horses in the barn.
“Our thoughts remain with Robyn, Tim, their teams, the horse owners, and everyone affected by this tragedy,” said Sam Gerrity, chief executive officer of the hotel. “The loss suffered today is heartbreaking for our racing community.”
The Saratoga Casino Hotel was making grief counseling services available to trainers, caretakers, owners and other affected community members. It is also planning a memorial service to honor the horses lost in the fire.
No people were injured or killed in the fire.
New York Racing Association President David O’Rourke decried the tragedy in a statement to NBC affiliate WNYT of Albany on Tuesday.
“Horse racing in New York is a community of hard-working people linked together by a shared commitment to the horses,” O’Rourke said, adding the tragic fire “will have a profound impact on that community, and NYRA extends our condolences to all those affected by this loss.”
The affected area will remain closed while investigators determine what caused the fire, according to the Saratoga Casino Hotel.
“We must work to learn the cause and do everything in our power to ensure this does not happen again,” Sarah Burger, counsel for Saratoga Harness Horsepersons Association, said in a statement Tuesday.
