Seven horses killed in fire destroying barns in Stanislaus County. Two horses rescued
A fire in western Stanislaus County destroyed two hay barns and caused the deaths of seven horses, authorities said.
Fire engines responded Thursday night to the structure fire in the 200 block of Poppy Avenue just outside the Patterson city boundary. The fire burned down a barn and spread to another structure on the adjacent property containing 10 haystacks and nine horses.
Emergency personnel were able to rescue two of the horses, but seven horses perished in the fire, the West Stanislaus Fire Protection District said in a news release. No residents living at the two locations were injured.
The 8:48 p.m. fire was brought under control after 10 p.m., the district said. Fire units worked throughout the night dousing hot spots and mopping up. A total of 880 hay bales were destroyed in one of the barns.
Firefighters from Patterson, Newman and the Modesto area — a total of 10 agencies — responded to the incident.
The cause of the fire is believed to be an accidental electrical fault, the Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigation Unit reported.
This story was originally published April 19, 2025 at 1:11 PM.
