A fire that started in the early morning hours of Monday, May 21st, has claimed the lives of 16 horses at Sunnybrook Stables in Sunnybrook Park in Toronto, ON.
The Office of the Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the blaze that started around 3 a.m. in the main barn. Fire crews were able to stop it from destroying a second barn which housed 13 horses. The fire was initially called in by residents of a nearby apartment building. Sixteen trucks and more than 50 firefighters responded to the scene.
Surviving horses were transported to the Toronto Police Service’s stables at Exhibition Place. Authorities closed Sunnybrook Park for safety reasons for most of the day, fearing that some loose horses could be wandering the area. The Toronto Police Service’s Mounted Unit was brought in to search for any horses that may have escaped, but by Monday afternoon it was determined that all horses were accounted for.
Sunnybrook’s Cyncee Becker posted this message on her Facebook page:
The cause of the fire has not been determined, as fire investigators were not able, initially, to enter the main barn because it was too unsafe. It is reported that the barn was not equipped with a sprinkler system. Police have asked the public to contact them regarding any suspicious activity witnessed in the park around that time.
The stable, which was established in 1979, has many devoted students, past and present. Read the Toronto Star’s report for reactions from some members of the Sunnybrook community.
CBC footage of the firefighters working to extinguish the blaze can be seen below:
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