Cypress residents blamed for fire that killed six horses

A suit recently filed in Harris County claims a flare-up between family members sparked a fire in Cypress that destroyed a barn, killing six horses.

Lewis Hill, Sherry Hill and others filed a lawsuit on May 20 in the Harris County District Court against Dylan Downey and Stephen Bui, alleging negligence and negligence per se.

The plaintiffs say that the defendants’ reckless acts caused the deaths of their beloved horses, boarded at Ravensway Stables in Cypress. According to the brief, the 18-year-old defendant, Downey, sought shelter at Ravensway Stables after defendant Bui, his stepfather, kicked him out of their house on the bitterly cold evening of Feb. 13.

Downey claims that because he had no place to go that night, he hid in Ravensway Stables, lighting a fire to stay warm. The fire, built near a wall of hay, went out of control, consuming the barn and killing the six horses boarded there. Downey fled the premises without calling the fire department, according to Harris County Fire Marshall McQueen.

The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and exemplary damages and court costs. They are being represented in the case by Houston attorney Michael Essmyer.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2011-30741.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.