Video Shows Officers Rescuing Horses From Barn Fire That Killed 17 Others

Newly released video shows New York police officers rescuing several horses from a June barn fire that claimed the lives of 17 others.

The Saratoga Springs Police Department on Friday released body-worn camera video from officers who responded to the fire at the barns of the Saratoga Casino at around 2:30 a.m. on June 16. They arrived to find one barn fully engulfed in flames, threatening to spread to another barn where “about 10” horses were “frozen in fear” in their stalls.

Together with New York Racing Association (NYRA) security personnel, officers “leapt into action” to rescue those horses “as the flames crept closer,” police said.

The department warned the video “may be difficult for some to watch.” While several horses were rescued, 17 “sadly” died in the fire, police said.

“This body camera footage is just a small snippet of the bravery and courage displayed by our team of officers that morning,” police said. “It also highlights an unintended benefit of our Mounted Unit; there were officers working who understood the horses behaviors, equipment, and communication and it certainly benefitted them in their response.”

Police also recognized Dispatchers Ryan and Ward, who “you won’t ever see on body camera, but may often hear.”

“Only two dispatchers were working this evening, and they seamlessly handled the heavy demands of an incident this size while also dispatching other calls throughout the city,” police said.