18 Horses Dead In Plainfield Barn Fire

PLAINFIELD, IL — Eighteen horses were killed in an early morning barn fire near Wheeler and Ridge roads, fire officials said. Plainfield Deputy Fire Chief Jon Stratton said firefighters responded to the blaze at 1:15 a.m. Wednesday to find that the barn and a nearby semi-trailer containing wood shavings and sawdust were on fire. "We had owners there trying to get the horses out," Stratton said, adding that the barn housed 30 horses.

Stratton said 18 of the horses perished. "It was horrible," he said. The barn was a total loss.

With no fire hydrants in the area, firefighters brought in tankers of water to help fight the blaze. Stratton said the fire was under control within 30 minutes of firefighters' arrival, but crews remained on the scene as of 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Stratton said one person was taken to Presence St. Joseph Medical Center with difficulty breathing and a second person went to Edward Hospital with a possible sprained ankle. No firefighters were injured, he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

WGN broadcast this live video from the scene of the fire:

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