Update: Horses Perish in Fire at Minnesota Equestrian Center

Winona, MN (KROC-AM News)- Nearly 100 members from multiple fire departments spent eight hours fighting a fire at the Minnesota Equestrian Fire on Thursday

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The Wilson Volunteer Fire Department says crews were dispatched to the blaze shortly before noon. The facility sits on three acres of land and features 356 horse stalls and two indoor arenas, according to its website.

The Minnesota Equestrian Center is located on the bluff tops between Winona and Interstate 90. It’s a massive complex interconnected by breezeways and corridors that also has a residence attached, the Wilson Fire Department says.

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Responding firefighters found the first barn was fully engulfed upon their arrival. The fire had also spread to an attached home.

Crews began fighting the fire from the inside and outside of the building to prevent it from spreading to a nearby arena. Firefighters made 50 round trips to haul an estimated 120,000 gallons of water to the scene of the fire fight.

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Crews also brought in an excavator to remove a part of the structure to prevent further fire spread.

Two Horses, Cat, Barn and Home Lost in Fire at Minnesota Equestrian Center in Winona, MN

The barn where the fire started had mostly collapsed by the time the fire fight was winding down. Officials say the barn and attached home were lost in the fire.

Two horses and a cat perished in the fire. No human injuries or deaths were reported as the occupants got out of the structure before it was overtaken by the fire.

31,000 square feet of the 128,000 square foot facility was destroyed by the fire. Another 45,000 square feet of the massive structure suffered minor smoke and heat damage.

The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the scene to investigate the cause of the blaze.

The preliminary investigation indicates the fire was not suspicious in nature, the Wilson Fire Department says.

Story update to include information released Friday morning by the Wilson Fire Department