Deadly Saratoga Casino Racetrack Barn Fire Sparks Push for Mandatory Sprinklers
Posted on: June 22, 2026, 09:54h.
Last updated on: June 22, 2026, 10:15h.
- The New York State Gaming Commission is reviewing whether fire sprinklers and automated suppression systems should be required in all New York racetrack barns after the June 16 Saratoga barn fire killed 17 horses
- Investigators found the wooden Saratoga barn lacked both fire sprinklers and an automated fire suppression system
- While the review is underway, regulators are urging tracks to ensure barns have smoke, fire, and heat detectors
Barns housing racehorses in New York aren’t currently mandated to have fire sprinklers. That could change after the deadly barn fire at Saratoga Casino Hotel that killed 17 horses.
The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) has convened a special panel is reviewing whether change is needed following the tragic fire at Saratoga on June 16. The panel is reviewing the circumstances of the fire and all fire prevention and suppression infrastructure at the 11 horse racetracks across the state.
The fire at Saratoga was a terrible tragedy, and we offer our deepest condolences to the connections of the horses that were lost. We are conducting an immediate, top-to-bottom review of fire prevention methods currently in place at barns and determining what more can be done to prevent such a tragedy from reoccurring,” said Commission Chairman Brian O’Dwyer.
The barn that caught fire early on June 16 was a wooden structure that had no fire sprinklers or an automated fire suppression system.
The harness racetrack is located at Saratoga Casino Hotel, a gaming venue that offers more than 1,200 slot-like video lottery terminals. Saratoga is one of eight video lottery casinos in New York that collectively operate over 17,000 gaming machines.
Current Barn Mandates
The New York State Gaming Commission says current regulations require that all horse racetrack barns comply with their host locality’s building codes, which typically include fire prevention and suppression measures.
The June 16 fire and other recent incidents have prompted the Commission to consider whether more focused action is necessary to prevent fires in barns that house racehorses across the state. The panel, led by Commissioner Martin Mack and including Commissioners Peter Moschetti and Jerry Skurnik, will examine the circumstances of the June 16 fire and conduct a systemic review of fire prevention methods,” the NYSGC said.
The panel will report its findings to the full commission upon completion. In the interim, the gaming commission is urging all tracks to ensure that smoke, fire, and heat detectors and fire extinguishers are installed in each barn that does not yet have such equipment.
June 16 Tragedy
The harness horse barn at Saratoga was ill-equipped to combat a fire.
Sarah Burger, a city supervisor and legal counsel for the Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association, told reporters that the barn did not have an automated fire suppression system. The barn was also not equipped with fire sprinklers.
Saratoga Casino subsequently donated $100,000 to the Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association to “support horsemen, trainers, staff, and backstretch workers impacted by the fire.”
“This contribution will be used to support those affected as they begin the long process of recovery in the aftermath of an unimaginable tragedy,” said Henry Westbrook Jr, president of the Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association. “We greatly appreciate the outpouring of support from the community, and in particular, this generous donation from Saratoga Casino Hotel.”
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