By Leah Justice

leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

A fire on Friday afternoon, Nov. 13 took the lives of four horses, according to the Columbus Fire Department.

Columbus Fire Chief Tony Priester said Columbus was initially dispatched for smoke at Little Mountain Road but in route were alerted that it was a barn fire.

The barn was located at 1145 Little Mountain Road in the Columbus Township and is owned by the Tryon Hounds.

Departments from Columbus, Green Creek and Mill Spring were dispatched as well as the N.C. Fire Service.

Priester said Green Creek was first on scene and confirmed the barn was fully engulfed.

Priester said upon arrival the barn was total loss and firefighters were unable to get in to get the horses out. There was also a little less than an acre of woods and underbrush that burned.

“It was a terrible thing,” Priester said. “I wish there was something we could have done.”

The initial call came in at 1:55 p.m. Friday.

The cause of the fire is still unknown and is under investigation.