Horse barn fire ‘an absolute nightmare’

The facts of the barn fire are brief.

About 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 29, a passer-by in the 5800 block of Rich Road in Clare called 911 to report the fire. By the time the owner's dog woke her shortly before 1 a.m., the stable was engulfed. It took 10 fire departments about six hours to fight. Ten horses and a goat died. The cause of the blaze is unknown.

But those facts do not convey what was lost that night.

Lost was Redeemer, who was quick to put younger horses in their place but was so gentle with people that her nickname was The Babysitter. Lost was Junior, who let neither his older age nor the fact he was a gelding ruin his reputation as a ladies' man, and Peaches, who loved to perform and bowed to get treats.

Amy Klink, who owns JAK Ranch Stable with her husband, John, was calm as she recounted the events of the night their boarding stable burned down. But when she tried to talk about the horses, she broke down.

"It's an absolute nightmare," she said. "There was nothing I could do to save any of the animals. Horses mean everything to us. They're my life."

In addition to the 10 horses that were in the stable, 10 others were boarded in outdoor paddocks and were unhurt. Klink said she is grateful for the kindness of the firefighters who saved her house and other outbuildings and who gave her regular updates on their progress.

As the Klinks called their boarders that morning, most raced out to the farm, hoping that by some miracle their horses would be safe.

"Reality hit when my son and I were walking up the driveway and there was no barn anymore," Pam Gregory said. Her son's horse had been in the pasture and survived, but two more of the family's horses died in the fire.

"I described Xerox as my daughter, my best friend, my sister and my true love," said Laura Kettner as she sat on the floor of Klink's home Sunday, cradling a framed photo of her horse. "I've had her 15 years. She was my absolute baby."

Kettner, who saw the bodies of the horses before they were removed from the stable, repeatedly told other owners gathered at the Klink house Sunday that the horses had been lying down as if asleep. The stall mats and walls were intact, she said, indicating that the horses were unconscious before they had time to get frightened and kick their way out.

Brittany Lanphear sobbed as she recalled 15-year-old Peaches, whom she described as "the love of my life." Lanphear also lost 8-year-old Sicily in the fire.

"It makes me sad they were both really young. They both had a lot of years left," Lanphear said through her tears. "I planned to have Peaches all of her life. All 30 years of it."

Sarah Montgomery, who said she spent more time finding a boarding stable for 20-year-old Redeemer and 6-year-old Romeo than she did planning her own wedding, said she and her husband had just planted a pasture and built a barn with plans to bring Redeemer home this year. They even bought a miniature horse to be a companion to her.

"I have the miniature, but it's not the same when you have to get down on all fours to hug it," she said.

Klink isn't sure when she and her husband will start to rebuild. For now, she is trying to get herself and the boarders who make up her extended family through their mourning, she said.

She is grateful for the help of the many people who have donated money and supplies to cover boarders' losses and take care of the remaining horses.

"We have to move on and take care of the horses we have here," she said. "That's just what we're trying to do."

To help

A fund has been set up at The Na­tional Bank & Trust Co. in the name of JAK Ranch. Dona­tions to the fund will help offset boarders' losses and the cost of rebuilding the stable. Donations can be made at any NB&T branch; for a list of locations, call 815-895-2125 or visit www.nabatco.com.

Hueber Feed, LLC in Creston is also accepting donations to help the ranch. Donations can be dropped off at, or mailed to, 110 S. Main St., Creston, IL 60113, or made by credit card over the phone at 815-384-3750 and 815-393-4879.