Fire authorities in North Carolina say two horses died in a barn fire in unincorporated Mecklenburg County.

Mike Petleski, assistant fire marshal, said that on Feb. 17, 2016, firefighters from the Long Creek Fire Department and the Cook Community Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call from a homeowner who reported his barn was on fire. “It was not really a barn, but a metal building with two stalls,” Petleski said. 

Upon arrival firefighters found the building flattened by fire. Two horses and a dog with her puppies were killed in the blaze.

Petleski said a space heater located in the tack room within the metal structure ignited the fire. “They were trying to keep the puppies warm,” he said