No horses were injured as a result of a minor stable fire at Ellis Park on U.S. 40-North Friday morning, but the blaze caused about $500 in damage and two security workers who put it out were treated for smoke inhalation, the Henderson Gleaner reported.
The fire started at roughly 3 a.m. after someone left an electric heating element plugged into an outlet, according to Baskett Fire Chief Bill Shaw. The tool, which is used to warm water to wash down the horses, was in a bucket that caught fire and apparently torched some of the stable's wooden support posts.
The security guards used a garden hose and dry powder extinguishers to put the fire out before firefighters arrived, Shaw said.
"There was a lot of smoke but none of the horses panicked," Shaw told The Gleaner. He credited the security guards with reacting quickly, preventing any further damage.