It's hard to believe Fairview Farms in New Bloomfield is the same saddlebred horse facility that was devastated by a fire in March 2016.
Bob and Tonya Brison have completed work on a new horse barn and arena on the site where two stables and an indoor arena were leveled. Seven horses and three dogs perished in the fire. The Brisons' home on the property was undamaged, as was another horse barn.
"In October we started moving horses in, and right now we're overflowing," Bob Brison said. "We've got 48 inside and 30 outside."
The rebuilding started last July. The new facility is 100 feet wide and 240 feet long. There are 35 permanent stalls in the barn, and portable stalls can be put in the arena when needed.
They also added some safety features to the new facility, such as sprinklers and water sources that can be accessed more easily. The insulation in the new facility is also less flammable.
"We had an idea of what we wanted it to look like, and it's nice to see it's pretty much like we had it down on paper," Brison said.
Firefighters from multiple jurisdictions were called in to fight the March 2016 fire due to no water service in the area. That meant firefighters went to neighboring communities, such as Holts Summit and Lake Mykee, to refill tankers and bring them back to the scene to battle the fire.
Officials with the fire marshal's office and insurance investigators told the Brisons the exact cause of the fire would never be determined due to the extent of the damage. However, they were able to determine the fire started in an attic space in one of the barns, leading them to believe an
electrical malfunction might have started the fire.
"After the fire, we were afraid we'd lose customers, but they stuck with us and have been so great to us," Tonya Brison said.
Bob Brison said they had help from all over the country - even horse owners in Canada have been in contact with them.
Fairview Farms was known for offering adults and children in the New Bloomfield area horse riding lessons and camps. The Brisons started the farm in their 20s.
"You don't know how many friends you have until something like this happens," Bob Brison said.
"It's at times like these that you find out how many friends you do have. As bad as our fire was, it could have been a lot worse."