Teen rushes into stable fire to save horses

Madison Wallraf, 15, risked her own life to save as many as 25 horses from barn fire. Screen grab via MSNBC.

A fire that broke out in a barn in a far northern suburb of Chicago Wednesday night has reportedly claimed the lives of at least 18 horses. One brave teen however, Madison Wallraf, 15, reportedly went into the burning inferno to do her part in saving as many horses as she could. Wallraf says she went into the burning barn over and over until the ceiling started falling down.

The teen, whose grandmother calls, “Mighty Maddy”, told MSNBC:

“I started off by just putting their halters on and pulling them out by twos, but then the fire started getting quicker so I just started wrapping their ropes around their necks and just tying them around my arms and pulling them out.”

While the exact cause of the fire is still being investigated, one source may point towards the caretakers quarters, located inside the stable. Investigators reportedly interviewed some of the grounds-people who told them that they smelled a BBQ shortly before the fire enveloped the 25,000 sq. ft. barn.

Three horses were reported missing after the incident, but one has since been recovered. Search teams scoured the countryside for the other two horses but eventually called the search off. The owners and rescuers are hoping the two missing horses survived and will find their way back home.