About a dozen horses were killed in a barn fire on a property just north of the Westcott Road and east of Rge. Rd. 10 southeast of Didsbury early on the morning of June 16.
Although the cause is not yet known, arson is not suspected, fire officials said at the scene.
“We got called at 5:33 a.m.,” said Didsbury fire Chief Pat Dodman. “It was fully involved when we got here.”
The owner, who declined to comment, was alerted to the fire by the noise, he said.
There were no reports of injuries, he said.
The wood and steel horse barn, which measured about 100 feet by 100 feet, was completely destroyed in the blaze.
About 30 firefighters from Olds, Didsbury, Carstairs and Linden attended the scene.
Firefighters were able to save a nearby mobile home, which did suffer some heat damage.
The last firefighters left the scene shortly after 1 p.m.
The value of the destroyed barn and animals was not immediately known, he said.
“Nobody is hurt and that's the main thing. It's unfortunate for the horses,” he said.
Although the barn was equipped with heaters, they were not believed to be on at the time of the fire, he said.
A number of neighbours attended the scene to offer assistance.
Olds fire Chief Lorne Thompson is investigating the fire.
“We will work with the private investigator who works for the insurance adjusters. We like to work together with them. It's better to sit down at the same time,” said Thompson.
The investigation will include an examination of the charred remains of the barn and any equipment inside it.
Asked if arson is suspected, he said, “We have no indication of that. We don't rule anything out when we first start.”
The investigation was ongoing at press time Friday.
