At least 10 horses were killed, and one person was taken to the hospital after a massive fire broke out in a large commercial barn in Franktown, Colorado in the early hours of Monday, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said.

Franktown is located about 35 miles south of the Denver metro area.

The Franktown Fire Protection Department said that deputies responded to a smoke alarm activation in a horse barn near Highway 83 and Russellville Road just before 4 a.m. on Monday. Authorities arrived at the scene to find a "heavily involved fire," said the FFPD.

Flames and smoke from the fire were visible from miles away, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

The firefighting crew used rural water supply to contain the fire, said the fire department.

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Numerous horses killed

However, numerous horses passed away in the incident while one person was transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation. An update on their condition is not yet known.

Four horses were rescued by the caretaker before the smoke became too heavy, a spokesperson of the Franktown Fire Protection Department told USA TODAY.

"We know at least 10 horses passed and 4 were released by the caretaker," FFPD Public Information Officer Kimberly Spuhler said. "The incident will require extensive overhaul."

Authorities did not state how many horses were present in the barn at the time of the incident, except that an investigation into the fire is ongoing.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.

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