VIDEOS/PHOTO: Six horses and one dog died after a 40-by-100-foot metal horse barn was fully engulfed in flames Friday night at the Coles County Fairgrounds. On July 11 at approximately 9:04 p.m., the Charleston Fire Department was dispatched to a reported fire at the Coles County Fairgrounds at 603 W Madison Ave. in Charleston.
Initial 911 reports indicated that a horse barn was fully involved, with horses still inside. According to Fire Chief Tim Meister, upon arrival, fire crews encountered a 40-by-100-foot metal horse barn fully engulfed in flames. Multiple bystanders and loose horses were observed in the surrounding area. Charleston Fire personnel then initiated a defensive fire attack in order to contain the fire and stop it from spreading to adjacent barns.
During the incident, multiple alarms were requested to bring in additional resources. Five horses located in the fire-involved structure were found deceased during the primary and secondary searches, as well as one deceased dog according to Coles County Fair Director Stacy DeRousse. A sixth deceased horse was found Saturday morning according to Jill Brown of Brown Racing, who trains the horses.
