16 horses killed in barn fire on Powhaton Road in Brighton

BRIGHTON, Colo. -- A fire swept through a barn and killed 16 horses early Tuesday morning, according to Brighton Fire.

The fire was reported in the 14,800-block of Powhaton Road at about 1:06 a.m.

Firefighters from Brighton, Bennett and Hudson fought the fire for more than an hour, but more than a dozen horses trapped inside the barn died.

Brighton fire officials said later Tuesday morning the fire started in the southwest corner of the building, and that it was not intentionally-set. They say they believe a heat source -- either a refrigerator or light -- that were at that corner of the building may have been the source, though the cause is still under investigation.