Published: Thursday, 4th October, 2007 09:00
Farm blaze bill set to soar to six figures
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A “TOWERING inferno” that lasted three days has decimated thousands of pounds worth of farming equipment and destroyed 500 tonnes of “extremely valuable” baled straw.
Three adjoining farm sheds, located within the steading of West Adniston Farm, near Macmerry were gutted by the fire, confirmed farm manager Bill Leckie.
And, with expensive farm machinery also destroyed, the total cost of the blaze could set to be several hundred thousand pounds.
Mr Leckie told the Courier on Tuesday: “As far as I know, it’s still slightly smouldering and we reckon that two of the sheds will definitely have to be pulled down.
“The fire crews left yesterday (Monday) morning and assured me that it is perfectly safe now. We just have to wait for it to finally die out before clearing it away.”
A member of the public alerted the fire services to the blaze at 8.54pm on Saturday evening, initially believing it to be located in Macmerry Industrial Estate.
Bill, 48, was only made aware of the situation when, from his bungalow home within the grounds, he heard fire engines approaching.
He said:“I was sitting in my living room watching telly when I heard a noise like a lorry. I looked out and there was this towering inferno right in front of me.”
Two hose reel jets were used by Tranent fire crews to extinguish the fire affecting the buildings but they were unable to completely extinguish the burning bales of straw.
Fire crews from around the county, including East Linton, Haddington and Musselburgh kept a vigil until the blaze petered out on Monday at 10.30am.
The tonnes of straw alone will set owner Robert Kennedy, based in Northern Ireland, back £20-30,000. Valuable farming equipment housed within the shed was also destroyed by the fire.
Mr Leckie said: “We lost a big baler, two combine harvesters, including a John Deere model, and other replacement equipment like tyres and wheels.
Combined with the cost of rebuilding the sheds, standing 140ft by 200ft, and the loss of 1,800 straw bales, Bill admits the 900-acre farm potentially stands to lose hundreds of thousands of pounds.
He added: “I’ve been at Adniston Farm for the past 24 or 25 years and this is the first time we have ever had anything like this happen in the steading.
“I mean, I’ve been piling straw in the those sheds for the past seven years without a problem.”
A fire services spokesperson confirmed an investigation was underway.
A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman added: “We are involved in the ongoing enquiries and are awaiting further information from the fire investigation unit on whether this was accidental or deliberate.”
Vice-chairman of the East Lothian branch of the National Farmers’ Union, Kelvin Pate said: “This is the first time I’ve heard of a fire starting in a steading.
“You hear about fires affecting fields and individual bales, but for it to have started in a steading is unusual.”
On the growing number of farm and field fires in the county, Mr Pate, of Aikeyside Farm, Gifford commented: “Assuming that the fire at West Adniston was deliberate, if these people are starting to target steadings then I’m sure it will make farmers very wary. I don’t see how they will be able to make their property more secure.
“If you’ve got something like straw or hay, it just takes someone with a box of matches, who doesn’t even think of the consequences, to cause a lot of damage.
“It really frustrates me as farmers put a lot of time into strawing and baling. And a lot of money.”
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