wemburywaves

On This Day in Wembury — 3 December 1996

Dozens of firefighters battled a barn blaze on National Trust land near New Barton Farm, Wembury for more than six hours overnight. Crews from Plymstock, Plympton, Greenbank, Modbury, Ivybridge, and Crownhill, plus Plymouth’s emergency tender, were called at around 10.30pm and were still damping down after 4am. The Dutch barn contained straw, grain, and bags of nitrogen fertiliser, raising fears of lethal fumes. Firemen donned breathing apparatus and approached with extreme caution. About 20 tonnes of straw were destroyed, and a corner of the barn damaged, but the grain and fertiliser were saved. Leading Firefighter Rick Selley of Plymstock station said crews faced a “wall of smoke and flames.” The blaze was treated as suspicious, though experts noted straw can self-ignite as internal heat builds up inside damp bales.
Source: Evening Herald, 3 December 1996

Fires like this show the constant tension between farming practices and safety. A barn full of straw and fertiliser is both essential to agriculture and a potential hazard to the whole community. That winter night the quick response of local fire crews prevented disaster, but it also underlined how vulnerable even well-kept farms can be to sudden ignition — whether by accident or design.