A fire in Winona caused significant damage to the Minnesota Equestrian Center, and investigators are working to determine what started the fire.

According to the Wilson Fire Department, the fire was started around 11:55 a.m. Thursday.

The equestrian center consists of a complex of interconnected show barns and arenas with adjoining entrances.

When fire crews arrived, they discovered a barn in the structure was fully engulfed and the adjoining residence was “heavily involved in the fire.”

Due to the scale of the fire, firefighters decided to remove a breezeway connecting the arena with a bulldozer to prevent the fire from spreading further.

The Wilson Fire Department said it took nearly eight hours for 100 people to resolve the emergency, with about 120,000 gallons of water pumped onto the fire and more than 50 trips back and forth between operators tankers and water sources to transport water to the site.

Although no firefighters or people were injured in the incident, three animals were killed in the fire: two horses and a cat.

The arena, according to firefighters, suffered minimal damage. However, the barn and residence were a total loss.

Of the 128,000 square feet that make up the equestrian center, 31,000 square feet were completely lost, while another 45,000 suffered minor smoke and heat damage.

“The majority of these individuals were volunteers who left jobs or families, canceled appointments or skipped errands to respond to this fire,” the Wilson Fire Department said in a statement. “Volunteer firefighters as a whole are struggling to recruit new members to fill gaps in their ranks. Fires like this are exactly why we need a robust, well-prepared volunteer fire force in Winona County. Any delays or staffing shortages could have led to a much worse outcome on what was already a devastating day for MEC.

An investigation into the fire is still ongoing, but the Wilson Fire Department says additional information indicates the fire is not suspicious.