Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County, city officials say 17 horses died in Saratoga barn fire; mutual aid and state officials responded
Summary
Officials reported a barn fire early in the morning at the Saratoga Casino Hotel that destroyed Barn No. 21 and killed 17 horses; the city and county credited local fire departments, mutual aid and state responders for protecting adjacent structures and noted ongoing coordination and condolences to owners and trainers.
County and city officials opened the council meeting by reporting a fatal barn fire at the Saratoga Casino Hotel that destroyed Barn No. 21 and killed 17 horses.
Supervisor Burger briefed the council on the incident, saying the Saratoga Springs Fire Department and mutual-aid partners limited spread to adjacent barns and that emergency personnel, state fire staff and Division of Homeland Security were at the scene during the response. He thanked the Saratoga County Emergency Communication Center, Saratoga County Office of Emergency Services, several local fire departments, National Grid personnel and state responders for their assistance, and acknowledged Governor Kathy Hochul and Assemblymember Carrie Woerner for visiting the scene.
Speakers during public comment expressed grief and asked for support for the harness-track community. Rose Tate, who described a multi-generational connection to the track, urged assistance for those who lost animals; Lou Benton and others described the track as a family and requested community support. Mayor Safford called for a moment of silence earlier in the meeting and later thanked first responders for their response.
Councilors and public-works officials also mentioned next steps for recovery, and the county reported a contemporaneous resolution to adopt a centralized FOIL/FOIA management system to better handle records requests city and countywide.
No detailed incident investigation findings or cause were given during the meeting; officials thanked responders and said further updates would come from investigative authorities as appropriate.
