Stable fire at Charles Town Race Track

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Stable fire at Charles Town Race Track

Posted: 9/6/2010 6:25:54 AM EDT

Only link that I was able to find on the Net: Stable Fire

Not a whole lot of info on there, but there were supposedly 41 horses killed when fire
tore through four stables at the race track. (WTOP says only 24 horses killed - not sure
which # is correct.)

One firefighter and one track worker were taken to the local hospital for minor injuries.

Will update if I get more info.

Posted: 9/6/2010 7:43:59 AM EDT

[#1]

Your linked story was updated.

Initially, it was thought that more than 40 horses died, but as the morning progressed horsemen on the scene revised the number to 24.

Posted: 9/6/2010 11:10:02 AM EDT

[#2]

Now that's one hell of a labor day BBQ.
Damn track has to show up everyone.....

Posted: 9/6/2010 11:42:46 AM EDT

[#3]

WTOP now says 27 horses dead.

Posted: 9/6/2010 1:46:32 PM EDT

[#4]

Three separate barns destroyed, 27 horses lost (the number was higher earlier because some horses escaped and were running around the town of CT), arson suspected. If someone did in fact set the fire the bastard needs to be shot.

Posted: 9/6/2010 2:55:29 PM EDT

[#5]

Latest word, supposedly official, was 29 horses dead, 28 rescued.
(Some of them went on a tour of CT evidently before deciding that
they'd seen enough....

)

Every department in Jefferson County was involved, including mutual
aid from Loudoun & Berkeley as well.

FMs on the scene were supposed to be saying that nothing to suggest
foul play had been found at this point.

Posted: 9/6/2010 3:27:26 PM EDT

[#6]

Very sad. We had a stable fire here last year. The owner lost 6 horses. The horses were in the corral when the first fire truck arrived and the horses ran into the barn! They were scared of the fire truck.

Posted: 9/6/2010 5:38:59 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Latest word, supposedly official, was 29 horses dead, 28 rescued.
(Some of them went on a tour of CT evidently before deciding that
they'd seen enough....

)

Every department in Jefferson County was involved, including mutual
aid from Loudoun & Berkeley as well.

FMs on the scene were supposed to be saying that nothing to suggest
foul play had been found at this point.

The problem here is that three different barns were on fire. I don't know the layout of the barns or the track but I'd probably think arson before anything else. If it was, the arsonist needs to be fired... out of a cannon... into one of his own fires.

Posted: 9/7/2010 4:08:15 AM EDT

[#8]

Burn the bastard, one little section at a time. Head and upper torso last! Now for the good news, covered dish supper at the track tonight. Meat is furnished.

Posted: 9/7/2010 8:39:19 AM EDT

[#9]

Got info last night that now they're looking at a (now former) employee as the source, though unintended.

He (or she) took a hotplate into the barn to fix themselves some chow. Material caught fire, and it took off from there.

Not sure about building arrangement, or the stable's 'housekeeping' cleanliness, so I couldn't really say any more. I've
seen some barn areas that were kept clean to where you could practically eat off the floor in the common areas, to
others that had so much loose hay and debris scattered amongst them, that fire spreading between them would be a
foregone conclusion.

Posted: 9/7/2010 9:52:03 AM EDT

[#10]

I heard that a witness said they saw a transformer above one of the barns sparking. Still doesn't smell right when three barns were torched.

Posted: 9/7/2010 11:58:08 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Still doesn't smell right when three barns were torched.

True - first thing out of my mouth when it started across the scanner was "Hmmmm..... I guess somebody was
nervous about Joe Schmo's horse winning in an upcoming race, and decided to torch the place to make sure he
didn't win."

Mrs. Tanker was like:

Me: "No, I didn't hear anything like that. I'm just guessing..."

Posted: 9/7/2010 2:28:37 PM EDT

[#12]

maybe someone was a few months late on paying the track some $$$ so the track owners went back to their roots and sent a message to said person via Mafia justice.

Posted: 9/7/2010 3:41:37 PM EDT

[#13]

I guess though, if you went to the track and said your horse was on fire today, they wouldn't have been joking!!!

Posted: 9/7/2010 4:20:07 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
maybe someone was a few months late on paying the track some $$$ so the track owners went back to their roots and sent a message to said person via Mafia justice.

Come now, you instigator, you! There's no organized crime involvement with any of the CT gambling.

You're just trying to stir up trouble. You know, kinda like Steve Simpson insisted for years that there
was no gang activities in Loudoun.....

Posted: 9/8/2010 5:25:31 AM EDT

[#15]

It was kinda nice that the Fire Dept cleaned up the evidence. Kind of makes you think that there is a conspiracy going on in Jefferson County.

ANGMSG

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:20:06 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
It was kinda nice that the Fire Dept cleaned up the evidence. Kind of makes you think that there is a conspiracy going on in Jefferson County.

Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:36:49 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
maybe someone was a few months late on paying the track some $$$ so the track owners went back to their roots and sent a message to said person via Mafia justice.

Any of the horses missing their head?

Posted: 9/8/2010 7:51:08 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:

Quoted:
It was kinda nice that the Fire Dept cleaned up the evidence. Kind of makes you think that there is a conspiracy going on in Jefferson County.

Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence.

Ehhh, maybe yes, maybe no. Hard to say.

I can say from the FD side of things that, especially with barn fires, you have to move debris
around so much to make sure there are no hot-spots left that you run the danger of blotting
out evidence. Unfortunately it's the nature of the beast.

One reason that I don't envy the FM's their job....

Posted: 9/8/2010 7:57:21 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
It was kinda nice that the Fire Dept cleaned up the evidence. Kind of makes you think that there is a conspiracy going on in Jefferson County.

ANGMSG

They aren't called the evidence eradication unit for nothing.

Posted: 9/8/2010 10:31:03 AM EDT

[#20]

Maybe its the level of training. I was always taught, and when I taught classes, I also taught that overhaul or not, nothing gets removed from the scene until the Fire Marshall gives the ok, and to disturb as little as possible. That was also taught in WV when I moved back here from PA in 1979. Yeah I kind of understand the smell and the mess may have disturbed the Casino Patrons, but this was a possible crime, one that may go unpunished now, if it was indeed a crime. This may have been one of the worst cases of Jewish Lightning that the area has ever seen. Then again it could have been an accident, guess we may never know now.

Posted: 9/8/2010 2:01:15 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
maybe someone was a few months late on paying the track some $$$ so the track owners went back to their roots and sent a message to said person via Mafia justice.

Any of the horses missing their head?

I think i heard my big pasta eat'n friend Anthony that there were 4 without heads...

Posted: 9/8/2010 2:50:42 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:

Quoted:
maybe someone was a few months late on paying the track some $$$ so the track owners went back to their roots and sent a message to said person via Mafia justice.

Any of the horses missing their head?

I think i heard my big pasta eat'n friend Anthony that there were 4 without heads...

That reminds me.....when we going to King's again