‘It’s heartbreaking’: Walpole residents devastated after 8 horses die in barn fire

WALPOLE, Mass. — The Walpole community is hit hard by the loss of a horse barn on North Street.

“This place was a beautiful place and for everything to have happened, it’s a lot, it’s a lot for these people around here it’s going to hit the community very hard,” said Jean Falletti, who stopped by the farm Wednesday.

The two-story stable at the historic Mor Linn Farm went up in flames Tuesday night during a severe thunderstorm.

Walpole Fire Department says eight horses were killed in a barn fire Tuesday night.

“I was like crying, I was all upset, I was like, ‘alright let me go just pay my respects,” said Falletti.

Fire crews say eight horses died in this fire, while ten horses were rescued by both the farm owner and an Eversource worker nearby.

Several other agencies were called in to help the Walpole firefighters because of how massive this fire was.

“Devastated to hear all those horses that died, because I grew up, an uncle of mine had three of them and I know the connection they have with them,” said Rob Diminico.

A lot of people have connections to this farm since it’s been here for 150 years.

It’s a place where horses are trained and boarded.

“People are riding and they’re training and they’re just beautiful, beautiful horses, so it’s heartbreaking, you know, 8 of them, that’s a lot,” said Falletti.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but fire crews believe lightning may have sparked it.

“I heard thunderstorms around and all of a sudden there was this loud clap of lightning bolts, it’s so loud that it shook the house,” said Jeff Davis, who lives nearby.

Now many are stopping by to pay their respects after this devastating loss.

“Very sad, it’s difficult to comprehend, you know horses become like our pets, like a part of the family, it’s sad,” said Davis.

The Kennedy family, which owns this farm, released this statement Wednesday:

<i>The Kennedy family is devastated by last night’s fire at our beloved Mor Linn Farm. Our hearts are broken by the loss of eight horses. We are grateful for the incredible response of the fire department and first responders from Walpole and surrounding towns who worked so hard to help contain the flames. We thank the community for their outpouring of support.</i>

—  The Kennedy Family

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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