Over two dozen racehorses were killed and one person injured after a man allegedly set a barn on fire at an upstate casino earlier this week.
Boyd H. Fenton, 32, was arrested after allegedly setting to one of the barns at Tioga Downs Casino Resort on fire — killing at least 24 horses in Thursday’s early morning blaze.
Fenton, of Athens, Pa., has been charged with multiple felonies which include Arson in the third degree, third-degree burglary, criminal mischief, and second-degree assault.
An investigation found he “entered the barn and intentionally set a fire, causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage,” according to a press release from the New York State Police.
The fire was called into emergency responders at around 6:34 a.m.
“Upon arrival of the first units, heavy fire was located within one of the horse barns,” Tioga County Emergency Services wrote on Facebook.
The burning structure was located in between other barns on the casino grounds and was still on fire by 8 a.m. according to WETM 18.
An unidentified individual was injured after they rushed into the smoldering barn in an attempt to save the horses.
They suffered second-degree burns and were transported to Robert Packer Hospital in the nearby Pennsylvania town of Sayre.
Tioga Downs features a 5/8 mile harness racetrack that was revived and refinished in 2006.
The resort, situated on the Susquehanna River and located 3 miles north of the NY-PA border, hosts a 160-room hotel and 890 slot machines.
“We are deeply saddened by today’s tragedy, it was a loss no one could have expected,” American Racing and Entertainment CEO Jeff Gural said in a statement.
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude for all of the first responders who rushed to our aid, we have a wonderful community and we are honored to be a part of it.”
Fenton was seen before a judge on Thursday where he was sent to the Tioga County Correctional Facility.
A GoFundMe, set up for the resort, has racked up over $117,000 — surpassing its initial $50,000 goal.
In 2018, 28 horses were killed in a fire at a horse track in Middletown, NY.
The fire broke out at around 3 a.m. on the grounds of the 63-acre Mount Hope Training Center in Orange County, killing all the horses inside.