UPDATE: One dead after large fire erupts northwest of Omaha
ELK CITY, Neb. - Authorities confirmed Thursday that one person had died and a firefighter was injured in a large fire that broke out early Thursday north of Elkhorn and west of Bennington.
Firefighters searched the large facility for hours, trying to find the person who was unaccounted for.
“It’s a big horse arena,” said Greg Classen, who lives across the road from the horse barn. “There’s several stables, and then three apartments inside the building.”
Officials said nine horses died in the fire and one firefighter was taken to the hospital with burns. Another 10 horses were being treated for injuries.
The fire was called in at shortly after 6 a.m., west of 225th Street and Dutch Hall Road. By 10 a.m., Douglas County Sheriff’s Lt. Tim Owens said fire crews had the fire at the horse stable contained but were still fighting flames and hot spots.
“Flames were on the west side of the building and the east side of the building,” Classen said. “(I) know they store hay and bulk shavings on the east side.”
Owens said the State Fire Marshal was leading the fire investigation.
Following a preliminary investigation, State Fire Marshal Investigators have determined the fire is accidental, and the investigation is ongoing.
“Kind of got into gear and went over and started rounding up horses and seeing if we could pull them out or not,” Classen said. “I was not the first person there, but the first person that was there, I guess, about a quarter after six, said they tried to get as many horses out as they could. It was just too hot — they couldn’t get in.”
Nebraska Equine was on the scene offering triage to injured animals.
Responding agencies included Waterloo Fire Department, Bennington Fire & Rescue, Valley Fire Department, Omaha Fire Department, Boys Town Fire Department, Kennard Fire & Rescue, Ponca Hills Fire Department, Irvington Fire Department, Ralston Fire Department, Fort Calhoun Fire & Rescue, Blair Fire & Rescue, Arlington Fire Department, Fremont Rural Fire Department, Yutan Fire Department, The Salvation Army, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Fire Marshal Agency.
