Horse killed as North River garage and barn burn, fire crews save house
An early morning fire that destroyed a garage and barn in a Conception Bay community killed a pet horse and levelled the structures.
The attached barn and garage in the Hallstown area of North River were destroyed. Crews remain at the scene Friday morning.
Jeanette Newell said her horse, named Machthemoment, was a 12-year-old racehorse.
The horse raced in Goulds until the track closed two years ago, and Newell kept Machthemoment as a pet.
Bay de Grave Regional Fire Department Chief Jim Edmunds said crews were called just before 7 a.m. but when they got there, the barn was already engulfed in flames.
Vinyl siding on the home was melted, but the home was not burned inside.
"You can tell on the back of the house there, there's a lot of damage to the house itself, but luckily it never got in the house and nobody got hurt," said Edmunds.
"That's the most important part."
Edmunds said the property belongs to his uncle, who he said lost "years and years" with of automotive repair equipment stored in the garage.
"The owner said when he came out there was an animal in the barn. He went in to try to get him but when he got there he said it was too late."
"It's pretty sad for him and his family here today. I think the animal belonged to his daughter, so for her it was just like one of her children," Edmunds said.
Firefighters and RCMP said the cause of the fire was unknown.
