Early Saturday about 2:10 a.m., the Lowell Fire Department responded to a barn fire in the 3200 block of Timpson Avenue SE finding a fully involved barn which took several hours to extinguish. The fire caused the tragic loss of 13 horses and nearly the entire barn structure, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office reports.

While fire fighters were extinguishing the blaze, the property owners notified fire personnel of several inconsistencies with the condition of the barn and surrounding property. Lowell Fire contacted the sheriff’s office to report the information from the owners.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene to begin the investigation. Initial deputies on scene also documented several concerns with the nature of the fire and requested the assistance of investigators from the sheriff’s office and the Michigan State Police fire investigator for further examination of the scene.

The investigation is currently ongoing. The sheriff’s office is requesting anyone with information about the incident contact the sheriff’s office investigate division at (616) 632-6125.