"It's horrible - they are lovely animals": Sadness at fire at Dudley stables after two horses die and arson investigation begins
A fire at a set of stables on open land in Dudley which left two horses dead and locals shocked is being treated as arson by police.
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Multiple fire crews from across the Black Country worked to tackle the blaze on Queens Road in Sedgley, which had broken out around 1am on Tuesday morning.
The fire had started at an area of stables and outbuildings running down a track next to Turls Hill Road and had engulfed about 80 per cent of the building at its highest point.
Crews worked through the night using hose reels and main jets to extinguish the fire, which was confirmed as out at around 6.50am, with drones supporting the operation.
A view of the area during the morning revealed a grim scene, with smoke still billowing out of the remains of the stables as crews worked to extinguish hotspots, while police officers were also present at the scene to close off the road to any traffic.
The smell of smoke and burning metal was still present in the air as crews worked at the scene, while people who used the track for walking their dogs were taking in the deaths of the two horses, with the area around Queens Road an open area full of horses.
One man, who asked not to be named, said he'd walked past the stables a number of times and spoke of his sadness at what had happened.
He said: "I'd been asking the fire service if the horses were ok and it's only now that someone has told me about two of them dying.
"It's horrible as they are lovely animals and I remember seeing a Shetland Pony up there, so it's just very sad to hear about this."
A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: "Shortly after 1.25am on Tuesday, October 15, we responded to Queens Road in Sedgley.
"Four fire engines from Dudley, Bilston, Tipton and Wolverhampton responded, the first arriving within five minutes of being mobilised.
"This fire affected an area of stables and outbuildings, measuring approximately 20m x 20m. Around 80 per cent of the building was affected.
"Two main jets and a hose reel were used to extinguish the fire, which was confirmed to be out at around 6.50am. Crews were supported by drone operations.
"Very sadly, two horses died as a result of this fire.
"Two fire engines remain at this incident, extinguishing hotspots. Fire Investigation Officers are in attendance."
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "We are asking for help following an arson attack in Sedgley last night, in which two horses sadly died.
"We were called by fire colleagues to land off Queens Road at 2.30am where a stable building was on fire.
"Sadly, two horses died as a result of the blaze, while a third was rescued from the building.
"The incident is being investigated as arson and an investigation is now underway by detectives from Dudley Police."
Local neighbourhood inspector, Sarah Smyth, said: “This is a truly upsetting case for everyone involved and we understand the impact this has had on the owners as well as the wider community.
“We are urging everyone in the Queens Road and Turls Hill areas to get in touch if they know anything, saw anyone in the area or has footage that may help our investigation.
"If you can help, contact us on 101, quoting Crime reference number 20/922926/24 or use Live Chat online."
