30 horses rescued from burning barn

According to a report in the Austrian daily Heute, the fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon at a stud farm near Baden.  

Firefighters arrived to find that the riding hall and outbuildings were fully ablaze, and the roof complex was beyond saving, according to the State Fire Command of Lower Austria.

A total of 30 horses were secured from the fire, with some already outside grazing in a nearby paddock.  

Employees described how they tried in vain to control the fire with portable extinguishers, after it broke out during construction activities on the wooden buildings.

Photo: Stefan Schneider BFK Baden

The column of smoke was seen from far afield, described spokesman Franz Resperger.  In order to have sufficient water available to fight the blaze, a line was laid from the Wiener Neustadt Canal.