10 horses killed in fire at Fox Run Riding Academy, estimated $500K in damages

Multiple agencies responded to a barn fire Thursday night at Fox Run Riding Academy in Cape Girardeau.

According to the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 6:45 p.m. Thursday the sheriff’s office received an emergency call of a fire at Fox Run Riding Academy. When emergency personnel arrived, a major structure fire was underway.

East County Fire Chief Randy Leuder said when his team arrived, the whole left side of the barn was engulfed and parts had collapsed.

Fire crews respond to a barn fire Thursday night at Fox Run Stables jn Cape Girardeau.J.C. Reeves

“Between the actual office, the living quarters and arena, some of that collapsed. The upper story on the second, some of that collapsed,” Leuder said. “Then we brought an excavator in and took some of it down just for fire safety.”

The fire caused major structural damage to the stables, and several horses had to be evacuated. According to Stephen Grass with the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s office, 10 horses died in the fire and damages cost an estimated $500,000.

Leuder said it took fire crews just 20-25 minutes to contain the situation and begin overhaul, but that it was an all-around group effort between fire crews, local farmers and Fronabarger Concreters in Oak Ridge due to icy road conditions.

“We had the state come in and help us out,” Leuder said. “They brought a truck in, construction cinders and laid salt and stuff down. We had a lot of local farm farmers around that helped us out tremendously.

“As a matter of fact, one of Cape’s ladder trucks was stuck almost at the top of the hill, and they helped us get it out. Fronabarger’s was the one with excavator, so I want to give a shout out to them. It was a group effort we had a lot of resources.”

In addition, the icy conditions caused one of East County’s tankers to freeze up and Leuder said it had to be taken back to the station.

Fox Run was established in 2006, according to its website, and is known for “providing a safe and family-oriented environment with superb lesson horses and prize-winning sale ponies.”

Fruitland, Jackson, East County and Cape Girardeau Fire Departments responded to the multi-alarm blaze.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown, and the incident is under investigation by the Missouri State Fire Marshal.