Nine horses have died Sunday in an early morning barn fire in Chatham Township.

Wright County Sheriff Joe Hagerty says deputies were called to the 2100 block of Bolton Drive Northwest around 12:40 a.m. in the morning after a report of barn engulfed in flames.

When deputies arrived they had seen the manager of the barn 42-year-old Ronald Winget was moving some of the horses away from the fire with the help of 17-year-old Wyatt Stueven of Howard Lake.

Stueven had noticed the fire while he was driving by and stopped to help.

According to the initial investigation, the electrical fire had started in the barn and had then knocked out electricity to the ranch.

Buffalo, Maple Lake and Monticello Fire Departments were able to put out the fire before it spread to other buildings. Nine horses were not able to make it out of the fire.

Wingest and Stueven were taken to area hospitals for treatment of smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.