Two horses, cats die in barn fire

BRUSSELS - A barn stocked with hay bales, five horses and several cats was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene Tuesday night.

The fire at 8878 School Road was reported by one of the property owners, Dale Crass, about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday. Crass was working in his garage and smelled smoke, said Jim Wautier, assistant fire chief at Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Department.

Crass saw that a corner of the barn was on fire and called 911, Wautier said. Crass was able to rescue three of the five horses in the barn, but two horses and some of the barn cats also perished in the fire, Wautier said.

"When we got there the barn was fully engulfed," Wautier said. The department was assisted by Southern Door, Luxemburg, Sturgeon Bay, Algoma and Casco fire departments.

Firefighters fought the blaze to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby structures. They were on the scene for five hours.

The cause of the fire is undetermined, Wautier said.