No horses were injured in a fire at Noble Horse Theatre on the Near North Side early Friday, fire officials said.

Crews were called to the fire on the 1400 block of North Sedgwick Street at about 1:10 a.m., according to Fire Media Affairs. The blaze was struck out about 30 minutes later.

Officials said that while the cause of the fire remained under investigation as of 7:45 a.m., it was believed to have been accidental. Spray painted messages found on the property -- "freedom" and "save the horses" -- may point to more nefarious actions, however.

A firefighter on the scene said about four horses that were kept in a different part of the building were not exposed to smoke or fire.

More than a half dozen burned horse carriages valued between $7,000 and $15,0000 were destroyed.

The facility's manager, Danny Sugrue, said there's no replacement insurance for the antique replica carriages and that the company will have to eat the cost.

According to its website, The Noble Horse Theatre stages theatrical performances of plays featuring several breeds of horses and has the capacity for up to 50 horses.

Michelle Relerford