Falmouth fire destroys barn, horses perish

A barn fire near Falmouth this morning claimed the lives of a number of horses, and the horse community in Nova Scotia is coming together to support the owner of the stable.

The blaze destroyed a barn at the Crosby Stables, owned by Kevin Crosby who is a well-known breeder in the equestrian community.

The call came in around 7:10 a.m. about a barn fire in Falmouth.

Crews began arriving and heavy black smoke could soon be seen from as far away as Windsor and Highway 101.

Windsor Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Lavers said it was a difficult fire to knock down.

"We're into the upper areas of Falmouth, so we didn't have a hydrant nearby. And we're extremely far off the road, so getting water to the fire was a bit of a challenge," he said.

Lavers confirmed many horses were in the barn and that some of them didn't make it out.

Supporter Jennifer White says fortunately, most of Crosby's horses were pastured outside when the blaze started.

She says local stores donated food to volunteers who arrived to comfort the well-established horse breeder. White said her mother arrived with halters to help with the horses.

An online campaign has already started to help Crosby out with his losses.

"We have a Facebook page called Support for Crosby Stables and in the meantime, a lot of our local vendors or horse-related vendors have put together some care packages," White said.

"Certainly gift cards to those establishments so they can purchase equipment as they need it."

Along with the horses, the owners also lost equipment including a tractor.

White says a fundraiser to help Crosby rebuild is in the early planning stages for the Windsor Horse Show next weekend. A bank account is in the process of being set up to receive donations as well.

The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.