FARMINGTON – Fourteen horses scattered around town early Friday after they were rescued from a fire. The fire was believed to have started near a propane heater on the first floor of the stable.

Twenty-three firefighters responded to the 3:01 a.m. fire call on Gallilee Road off Cascade Leisure Park Road near the Farmington Fairgrounds.

A man had been staying above the tack room at the stable and felt heat and opened a window and smelled the smoke, Farmington Fire Rescue Chief Terry Bell said.

The man got a few of the horses out before firefighters arrived to help free the rest.

There was a small amount of fire on the outside of the building, Bell said. The horses took off while firefighters were extinguishing the blaze that did an estimated $10,000 damage, he said. The damage could have been more, he said.

All the bridles, blankets and medicine were destroyed.

Mike Cushing owns the horses and John Ernest owns the stables, he said.

Some of the horses were found wandering the downtown area on Court and Academy streets and as far away as Hannaford on Wilton Road, about 2 miles from the stables, Bell said.

Along with firefighters, Cushing, Ernest, employees and Farmington police and animal control helped round up the horses.

Bell said no one was hurt.

The horses were being stabled at the Farmington Fairgrounds Friday, he said.