Fire investigators are blaming a lightning strike for a barn fire that killed 12 horses and several other animals.

Capt. Frank McKenzie, public relations officer of the Huntsville Fire and Rescue Department, said his department responded to a 911 call on Jan. 11 concerning a fire at Cheval Farm in Huntsville, Ala. The Green Mountain Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the blaze.

“Crews arrived to find the barn fully involved in fire,” said McKenzie said. “Crews tried to extinguish the fire, but the barn was a total loss.”

Twelve horses died in the fire, McKenzie said. Cheval Farm barn manager Lindsay Williams said 11 cats and a dog also perished