A barn fire in McHenry County left six horses dead and the structure a total loss late Sunday night.

A late-night barn fire in unincorporated Harvard, McHenry County, killed six horses and destroyed the structure. Fire crews from more than a dozen departments responded to the scene due to water access challenges. The fire was contained within an hour, and its cause remains under investigation.

Six horses died after a barn in McHenry County went up in flames late Sunday night, authorities said. The Harvard Fire Protection District reported their crews were called just before midnight to the 19100 block of Crowley Road in unincorporated Harvard on for a fire in a barn “with animals possibly inside."