The Plainville Fire Department says seven horses were killed in a fire that took place at Janbark Farm on Warren Road.

Fire officials say they got a call from a neighbor around 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The caller reported seeing flames as high as 20 to 30 feet coming from the area of the farm's arena.

15 horses survive fire

When fire crews arrived, they saw heavy flames. The fire was brought under control in about 30 minutes, but fire officials say two horses in the arena and another five horses in an abutting barn were killed. Roughly 15 other horses were spared.

The charred wreckage remaining after the fire surprised neighbors who walked by Janbark Farm on Tuesday afternoon.   

"This is very tragic. I got to know some of the horses quite well. Cause you go by, they're in the pasture, you see them, they walk up to you. They recognize you," said neighbor Diane DeMonte.

Ellen Feld, a longtime client of Janbark Farm and its owner, Jean Degutis, told WBZ she can only imagine the pain that Degutis and her crew are feeling.

"Once you work with them and you have a partner, it's your best friend. So, the thought of losing your best friend in a barn fire is devastating," Feld said.

Feld said Janbark had a breed of horses called Morgans, which she described as "like giant golden retrievers."

Feld is organizing a fundraiser to help Janbark Farm as they pick up the pieces.

The Plainville Fire Department said the cause of the fire is still under investigation but it is not considered suspicious.