Kaufman County blaze kills 7 racehorses, destroys barn

Fire crews in Kaufman County battled a blaze Friday night that destroyed a barn and killed seven racehorses.

A little after 7 p.m., Terrell volunteer firefighters were dispatched to assist the Scurry Fire Department and other agencies with a large fire in the area of Sheila Circle, west of the city of Kaufman.

Terrell’s fire department said in a social media post that the smoke was so thick it could be seen from downtown Terrell.

Fire crews spent several hours fighting the blaze, according to the Terrell department. The barn, however, was a total loss and several horses were unable to escape, officials said.

KXAS-TV (NBC5) reported that seven racehorses died.

The Kaufman Fire Marshal’s Office told NBC5 the cause of the fire is believed to be welding being done on the building that ignited spray-foam insulation inside the barn. The fire marshal said the loss is estimated at $1 million.

Officials urged residents to use extreme caution with anything that could generate heat or sparks amid the triple-digit temperatures outdoors.

Kaufman County is one of 198 counties in the state with a burn ban in place, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The county has had the ban, which prohibits all outdoor burning, in place since the beginning of August.