Gardner responds to Ashburnham barn fire: What happened to the animals?

All 10 horses housed in a barn in Ashburnham were able to safely escape during a three-alarm early-morning fire that destroyed the structure on Thursday, according to fire officials.

The initial call came in at 1:16 a.m., and crews from the Gardner Fire Department responded to the blaze at 192 Old Gardner Road to find the 36-foot-by-36-foot barn fully in flames. Chief Greg Lagoy and Lt. Corey Leary took command of the scene.

Members of the Ashburnham Fire Department arrived on scene at 1:33 a.m., according to officials, and within a short time it was determined that the barn was in fact located in Ashburnham.

Emergency Service Zone agreement provides for faster response

The fire departments in Gardner and Ashburnham have an Emergency Service Zone agreement, which routes 911 calls from addresses in the remote area at the end of Kelton Street to Gardner dispatch because the city crews have a much shorter response time.

Due to the size of the structure, fire crews from Westminster, Templeton, Winchendon, Athol, Phillipston and Fitchburg were called to the scene to assist. The barn was deemed a total loss.

There were no injuries sustained by the homeowners or any of the responding crews.

Several chickens were unable to escape the blaze, according to the report.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Massachusetts Fire District 8, a tactical organization of fire departments in northern Worcester County developed to provide specialized assets and emergency resources beyond what can be provided by a single fire department.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Ashburnham fire destroys barn; Gardner, Westminster, Fitchburg respond