Toxic chemicals fear at farm

More than 40 firefighters from across four counties battled to stop a major environmental hazard when a huge blaze threatened to engulf chemicals at a farm near Bridgnorth.

The fire, discovered shortly after 3.30pm yesterday, broke out in one end of a barn at Astley Farm in Six Ashes.

Marquees and tenting equipment were stored at the end engulfed by the flames but nearby, the other side of a small wall, there were stocks of farming chemicals, including nitrates.

Hazard

Mike Ablitt, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service's head of fire prevention, said: "Smoke from the fire was billowing over nearby houses and if the flames had caught the chemicals there could have been toxic fumes given off and we would have had a serious environmental hazard on our hands.

"Fortunately, the fire crews did a fantastic job.

"The first firefighters donned breathing apparatus and went in to keep the flames at bay until back-up arrived and the blaze could be tackled in force.

"The chemicals were left untouched and so they did a great job to prevent what could have been a very nasty incident."

Mr Ablitt said the marquees and tent equipment in the barn were destroyed, along with one end of the 100m by 40m building, but fire crews managed to save the rest of the structure.

Nine crews drawn from Shropshire, West Midlands, Hereford and Worcester and Staffordshire attended the scene.

Mr Ablitt said: "I haven't been on a job involving four different brigades before and I have to say the co-ordination was excellent."

The owner of the farm, James Thompson, did not want to comment on the incident.

Mr Ablitt said a fire investigation officer was at the farm last night looking into the cause of the blaze but that was not likely to be known for some time.

The fire was the second to hit a barn near Bridgnorth in the last 10 days.

A hay barn at Danford Farm in Upper Ludstone was destroyed in a separate incident on July 14.

Upset

Farmer Alan Mottram, 48, said he was "very upset" by the blaze, but glad no-one was hurt and no animals had been killed.

An investigation into the cause of the fire has been launched, but it was not thought to be suspicious.

A crew from Cleobury Mortimer was still at the scene of the blaze just before 6am today.

A spokesman for the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said the crew was damping down.

He did not know how long the crew was expected to remain at the scene.