Early morning fire that killed 18 horses was accidentally set

An early-morning stable fire that killed 18 horses at an Oconee County equestrian center was caused by an electrical problem, according to state fire investigators.

The blaze broke out about 1:30 a.m. Friday at the Brookwood Equestrian Center, a boarding and training facility in the 2100 block of Union Church Road near Watkinsville.

Glenn Allen, spokesman for state Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens , told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday afternoon that investigators have determined that the fire was accidental, caused by an arc in an electrical panel in the stable’s tack room.

The 18 horses, belonging to nine different owners, were valued at $600,000, Allen said.

Damage to the stable, a pickup truck and a horse trailer was estimated at $350,000, he said.

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