Kentucky Barn Fire Kills Horses, Injures Owner

Sept. 6, 2007
A barn fire killed seven horses and severely burned the owner.

SHELBY COUNTY, Ky. --

A barn fire killed seven horses and severely burned the owner while she tried to rescue the animals early Wednesday morning.

Sunny Patch Stables on Taylorsville Road burned around 4 a.m. The owner, Joanie Chaney, lived in an apartment upstairs. Officials said she escaped with second and third-degree burns after her fire alarm failed to wake her and a passerby saw the flames and rescued her.

Officials said the owner was burned while trying to rescue the seven saddle bred and quarterhorses in the barn.

The fire left nothing but ash and smoking ruins where the 15,000 square foot wooden stable stood. In all, 30 horses were stabled there, but only seven were inside the barn.

Im devastated, really, stable worker Justin Watts said. We was coming up the hill and normally were used to seeing this barn and now its gone. Its a big empty space and its just devastating something like this can happen.

The Shelby County fire chief said he doesnt yet know what caused the blaze and a state fire marshal is scheduled to come investigate the scene.

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