Massive Fire Destroys Newtown Horse Barn

Firefighters from five different companies responded to an early Thursday morning horse barn fire in Newtown.

Botsford Fire Rescue Chief Andrew White told the Newtown Bee that "the fire was through the roof when we got here, but the horses are out, and everybody’s good. Unfortunately the barn is gone".

Approximately 50 firefighters from Botsford, Dodgingtown, Hawleyville, Hook & Ladder, and Sandy Hook were all on the scene on Meadowbrook Road to battle the blaze shortly before 5 am Thursday morning. Once crews arrived and assessed the situation, additional fire companies from Stepney and Stevenson were also called in to assist.

The barn was full of horses, but they were being removed just as crews arrived. The bad news is that the fire was too far advanced to save the structure, however the good news is that no one was hurt and all the horses were saved.

The family did lose a cat named Lucille, and the chickens who also lived in the barn got loose and ran off during the chaos. Friends of the family have already set up a GoFundMe page to help them with whatever they need.

There's no word at this time as to the cause of the blaze, and the town is bringing in an excavator to tear down the remainder of the building.