Smoke can still be seen rising over Ashey this morning (Tuesday) as firefighters continue to tackle a barn blaze that broke out on a farm on the outskirts of Ryde yesterday.
As first reported by Island Echo, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service were called to Green Lane Farm at the junction of Ashey Road and Green Lane at just before 11:45. 999 calls were made when a blaze suddenly broke out, very quickly engulfing a large barn used to store hay.
The first crews on scene – from Ryde – arrived to find the barn well alight and promptly made pumps 6, resulting in appliances from Ryde, Newport, Cowes and Sandown all being mobilised to the fire ground, alongside water carriers from Ventnor and Freshwater and the Incident Support Unit from East Cowes.
Firefighters from Southsea were also quickly brought to the Island via hovercraft to provide fire cover locally and in Southampton, appliances from St Mary’s were loaded onto the Red Funnel ferry. An Incident Command Unit from Portchester was also shipped across the Solent to act as a command and control post, but stood down from the incident at around 19:30 last night.
Over the past 20 hours, crews from both sides of the Solent have worked to contain the blaze using 25 lengths of hose, main jets and 2 monitor jets, as well as breathing apparatus. Work has continued throughout the night with a specialist Manitou telehandler from the mainlander brought over to help pull out the hay and spread it on a nearby field – something that previously would have been done by hand.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed, but the incident is not being treated as suspicious. Whilst there have been no human or animal casualties, it’s known that a John Deere telehandler inside the barn has been destroyed by the blaze – as well as the hay and barn itself.
Yesterday’s fire will come as a blow to the farmer, who suffered a similar fire just 5 years ago.
Ashey Road, Deacons Lane and Green Lane remain closed to all traffic. Local diversions are in place.
UPDATE @ 15:20 – All firefighters have now left the scene, with 1 crew expected to return later this evening to check for any hotspots.
All roads in the area have now been re-opened.
The stop message was received at 13:08 – over 25 hours after the fire began.
so, three fires at that place – one yesterday, one five years ago and another five years and two months ago.
hmm –careless or what?
Real farmers don’t give a &&&&. Do what they like. The general public swallow the rubbish fed to them by the BBC and country file. They are just business people but the NFU tries to sell them as an ethnic minority. Maybe if they were made to follow the same rules as all the other businesses they will stop having all these fires. A poorly maintained tractor last week.
That’s a worrying amount of asbestos contamination released into the environment. I hope everyone is taking precautions in the vicinity.
Do you know how much hard work and effort goes in to fill a barn like that ?The hours spent working the land While all you keyboard warriors are tuck up in bed drinking your coco thinking that milk comes from a tap My late farther all ways said if you got nothing good to say .don’t say it.