Community effort saves horses after Keene fire
Animals removed as trailers responded from all directions following Kildare Stables blaze
Community members rallied together to ensure horses were safely removed from Kildare Stables west of Keene after a devastating fire tore through the property on Saturday afternoon.
Thirty-five Otonabee-South Monaghan firefighters from all four fire halls in the township responded to the barn fire at Keene Road and County Road 2 just after noon.
As firefighters fought the blaze — it took crews five hours to control it — residents and members of the local horse-riding community rushed to the scene to help transport horses away from the area. Shay Thompson of Douro-Dummer Township was one of them.
Thompson, along with several other helpers, was watching a riding show at Endless Journey Farm in Omemee when Kildare Stables operators put out a call for assistance.
“Lots of people helped (and brought trailers). All horses were safely loaded and trailered to Saddlewood (Riding Camp),” Thompson told The Examiner.
Kildare Stables offers boarding and training programs at the Keene-area facility.
On Facebook on Saturday, its operators lamented the loss of the barn and thanked community members for their help.
“What an absolutely devastating day for us at Kildare. Our clients and our horses lost their home today. Thankfully all people and horses are safe,” read the statement posted to the Kildare Stables Facebook page.
“Thank you to our community for jumping into action with trailers and bodies to help … thank you for all your help loading horses, trailering and slugging necessities,” continued the online post. “We are shocked by the day’s events and in awe of the support.”
Otonabee-Monaghan South Fire Chief Chuck Parsons said the structure was half stable stalls and half riding arena. While it was a “total loss,” firefighters on the scene managed to ensure the fire didn’t reach two nearby structures: a wooden barn and an equipment shed.
“I saw horse trailers coming in from everywhere. The owners looked after that so we could focus on the fire, which was great,” Parsons said.
“The crews did an amazing job. It was a tough day but we got through
“Thank you to our community for jumping into action with trailers and bodies to help.
KILDARE STABLES STATEMENT ON FACEBOOK
it and we had a positive result in saving those two other buildings.”
A subsequent investigation determined the fire was caused by spontaneous combustion. Hay on the property caught fire, he said.
Parsons is reminding residents to ensure hay is kept dry and encourages farmers to always have fire extinguishers at the ready near their barns.