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Article snippet: The fires sweeping through Southern California, destroying property and threatening human lives, have also killed at least 54 horses, according to the authorities. The California Horse Racing Board said Thursday that at least 25 horses were killed and at least three people were injured when a fire burned through about eight barns at the San Luis Rey training center in Bonsall, in San Diego County. The area, near the county’s northern border, is known for its equestrian facilities. Mike Marten, a spokesman for the racing board, said in an interview on Friday that the death toll was likely to rise. “The area hardest hit is still smoldering, so no one is allowed in,” he said. Two days earlier, 29 horses were killed by the Creek Fire at a ranch in Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley, according to a statement from the Department of Animal Care and Control in Los Angeles County. The department said that it arrived at the ranch on Tuesday morning and found a barn burning, its roof collapsing. Its officers immediately retrieved two horses and a puppy, then returned to the barn to rescue four more horses. Flames blocked their entry to the barn. Additional officers arrived and were eventually able to rescue more horses, breaking padlocks on stalls in order to get them out. The department transported three horses to Pierce College nearby, where one was euthanized because its injuries were so severe. Southern California is one of the nation’s largest horse-racing centers, than... Link to the full article to read more