The stable, Macias Corral, was owned by Michelle Macias and her husband who were living their dream of breeding Friesian horses. The horses were kept in a large stable on their property.
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"It's heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking. ... It took us 3 years to build and to see it disappear before your eyes is hard," Michelle Macias said Tuesday afternoon.
15 horses, dog killed in Monee fire
The fire broke out at about 4 a.m. at the stable in the 27200 block of South 80th Avenue. The fire was struck at about 6:15 a.m., officials said.
Macias said she was alerted by the fire department that the stable was on fire.
"By the time I got there, the fire department was here from all the different areas and it was basically gone," she said.
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The stable is a complete loss after suffering an estimated $1.5 million in damages. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it is not believed to be suspicious, the Will County Sheriff's Office said.
The couple have bred Friesian horses for years, even showing them for a while. They moved to Monee four years ago to expand their business. They built a large stable with 20 stalls.
Neighbors said it was the talk of the town.
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"You could sit on the back porch and hear clip clop clip clop," said neighbor David Schissler.
Macias says she and her husband haven't figured out their next steps, but she doesn't want to give up their dream of breeding horses.
Several fire departments responded to the fire with Peotone in charge of the operation.
"That particular area does not have hydrants so we had to have water hauled in by tankers or tenders," said Bill Schreiber, chief of the Peotone Fire Protection District.