Barn blaze costs farmer £200,000
Fire crews from four stations in the Forest and Wales battled exploding gas bottles as the fire threatened to spread to other buildings at Bishton Farm. Six fire engines and two water bowsers were used.
Eye-witness Steve Pearson whose house overlooks the farm said he had first noticed the fire at about 8am.
“There was a cloud of thick black smoke and you could hear a number of loud bangs,” he said. “The first fire engine to arrive came from Chepstow at about 8.30am.”
Police closed Bishton Lane as thick smoke, that could be seen more than five miles away, rose in to the air.
Station manager John French said: “There were lots of flames, smoke and explosions, the fire was going well when the first crews turned up.”
John praised the first firefighters on the scene for preventing the fire spreading.
“The initial crews did a great job to stop it. We have been able to protect the other buildings including a wooden stable block which is only a few metres from the fire,” he said.
No one was injured in the blaze which was still going more than three hours after the first crews arrived.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown but an investigation is under way.
The 30m by 60m barn which had a wooden structure with an asbestos roof was completely destroyed by the fire.
A forklift truck with propane gas cylinders was the only thing in the barn at the time of the fire but a number of 4x4 vehicles due to be scrapped were also destroyed.
The farm is the base of the Freelander Breaker company which breaks and sells parts from Landrovers and other 4x4 vehicles.
Freelander Breaker is owned by John Daunter who declined to comment on the fire.
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