4 horses die in barn fire near Marengo

Four horses, including a pony, died in a barn fire near Marengo early Tuesday.

The Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts responded to a call at 3 a.m. Tuesday to the 10800 block of Carls Road for a reported structure fire. Firefighters arrived to “significant fire conditions in a large barn measuring approximately 150 by 80 feet,” Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said in a news release.

Firefighters worked on the fire by deploying hose lines and establishing water supplies due to the lack of nearby fire hydrants in the rural area. The fire was upgraded to a second alarm through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System and later increased to a third alarm for additional water support. Firefighters used water tenders to shuttle water from a hydrant about 3½ miles away, according to the release.

A resident was transported to a hospital for a medical emergency unrelated to the fire, according to the release. Three horses and a pony were unable to escape the barn and died. No injuries to firefighters or civilians were reported.

The fire was declared under control by 4:30 a.m., with crews remaining on the scene until 7 a.m. to extinguish remaining hotspots and assist with the investigation, Vucha said in the release. The Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts are investigating the fire, but it is not believed to be suspicious in nature.

Fire rescue districts assisting in the call were from Algonquin, Belvidere, Boone County, Burlington, Cherry Valley, Elgin, Genoa-Kingston, Hampshire, Hebron, Huntley, Kirkland, Pingree Grove, Richmond, Rutland-Dundee, Sycamore, Union, Woodstock. The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and the Salvation Army also responded.