From news reports

The quick actions of a stable manager and emergency personnel saved the lives of 21 of 22 Arabian show horses that were inside a barn when it caught fire early Saturday morning on the Green Valley Road near Auburn.

According to Tim Perciful, King County Fire District 44 public information officer, the barn’s manager first saw the fire. He immediately grabbed two small fire extinguishers but they proved to be of little use on such a large fire. He then covered his face with his shirt and began letting horses out of their stalls, continuing until things grew too hot and smoky.

Firefighters put out the fire within 30 minutes and kept the fire confined to a small area in the barn. Without any fire hydrants nearby, fire personnel set up a shuttle operation, transporting water from the closest hydrant more than a mile away.

Once the fire was out, the barn manager towed the tractor out of the barn and got the remaining horses out. Fire personnel used a a pet oxygen mask on one horse and helped veterinarians who were giving it medications and fluids. The horse was transported to a veterinary hospital but had to be put down because of the seriousness of its injuries.

Fire fighters continued to mop-up the fire while other fire personnel helped the vet and various people capture horses for a quick medical evaluation.

“It was nice to use some of my TLAR (Technical Large Animal Rescue) training to help capture the horses in a timely manner,” Perciful said. “We used halter lead lines, dog leashes, rope, scene tape, and anything we had on hand to restrain the horses, since most of the tack was in the barn.”

Many of the horse owners were on scene and helped walk the animals to a nearby location for shelter and care. The on-scene vet evaluated the horses several times and sent a second horse to the emergency hospital. That animal is expected to be fine.”

Perciful thanked King County Fire 28, the King County Sheriff’s Office, Medic One, The Soup Ladies, the veterinarians on scene, the stable staff, and all the people that helped with the fire and the animals.

A fire investigator ruled the fire accidental, but was unable to determine what caused it.

Perciful offers the following barn safety tips:

• Be sure to have working fire extinguishers and know how to use them.

• Have an escape plan for fires and other emergencies.

• Have a phone tree to notify people during an emergency. Have an out of area contact in case local calls can’t be made.

• Have a plan for transporting livestock during an emergency.

• Have photos of your animal(s) with important information (phone number, vet info, etc.) on the stall, in the trailer, and at home in case of an emergency.

Mountain View Fire & Rescue/Black Diamond Fire Department serves approximately seventy square miles in South King County, including the City of Black Diamond and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe but the majority of its area is in unincorporated King County. KCFD #44 has approximately 150 volunteer firefighters, EMTs, and rescue personnel and 17 career firefighters.