Sarah
Hawkins Genealogy Site
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Somerset County Herald and Taunton Courier. Saturday 30 Aug 1958
Page 1 Column 3
Hay Burned All Night
Taunton Farm Fire
Police are making enquiries into the origin of a fire on Monday night at Moor Farm, Holway, Taunton, where damage estimated at about £2,000 was caused. The farm is owned by Mr. W. C. SHUTE, a well-known dairyman, who was on holiday in Scotland.
The fire destroyed two ricks of baled hay, totalling about 100 tons, some straw and two Dutch barns. Several tons of wheat in a nearby barn were saved.
The farm manager, Mr. James SMITH, said the fire was discovered at about 7.30 p.m. Farm employees were carrying wheat from the fields to the barn. They saw smoke, but first thought it came from the chimneys of nearby police houses. The smoke increased and they rushed back to find one of the ricks alight. Several people telephoned the fire brigade, but although they arrived in a few minutes the fire had spread to the other rick.
Wheat Saved
It was decided to concentrate on saving the wheat. Fortunately no stock, farm implements or houses were within range of the fire, and the dairy premises also escaped. But the heat was so intense that several trees in an orchard were scorched.
Firemen, under Divisional Officer R. McLAREN, and employees worked through the night under arc lamps to deal with the inferno.
The employees had no sleep for about 36 hours; for on Tuesday it was business as usual – the milk had to be collected, pasteurised and distributed – and they had to work in shifts during Tuesday night helping firemen dampen down the smouldering hay.
Second Fire
Police are investigating the cause of the fire. It is thought unlikely that it started through spontaneous combustion.
Mr. SMITH was able to get in touch with Mr. SHUTE through the help of the police at Carlisle. Mr. SHUTE was assured the fire was under control and that there was no danger to the dairy property.
This was the second fire at the farm in recent years. Three years ago another barnful of hay was destroyed.