Shropshire barn fire 'ripped the heart out' of family farm
The fire took hold on the afternoon of 7 August, with multiple fire crews attending from stations across Shropshire."Driving up the lane [to the farm] we could see the smoke from a long way away," Mr Unwin said."It was just panic, really."
Temperatures in the county were in the mid-20s that day, and Mr Unwin said the hot, dry weather made the damage caused by the blaze even worse."In the past, [firefighters] would have pulled some of the straw out [of the barn] and then wet it down on the fields," he said, but the "tinder-dry" ground meant there was a risk of setting the fields alight.One of the burned barns was "packed completely with straw", Mr Unwin added."It's been a dry year, straw is in short supply - we thought we'd got all our supply in ready for the year," he said."We worked very hard over the last couple of weeks, but that hard work is now in vain because there's nothing left."
He added that Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service was "struggling initially to find water" because "all the brooks and ponds have dried up.""They did find water eventually, but they had to have the Bridgnorth and Leominster bowsers lugging it to them which added an extra layer of complication," Mr Unwin said.
The second barn to burn down took with it valuable farming equipment."There's nothing left of [the machinery], they're just burnt shells now," Mr Unwin said.The farmer added that it was "quite a shock to see [the buildings] in such a state", and said it had "ripped the heart out of the farm".
Mr Unwin added that his neighbours "have been very kind" and offered his farm straw to help tide them over in the short term. "But ultimately it's 12 months until harvest 2026 when large quantities of straw will be available again."It puts our living in jeopardy."
Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Heatwave causes surge in vehicle breakdowns because of hot tyres
Hot tyres failing have sparked a surge in vehicle breakdowns as high temperatures continue. The RAC said it received 10% more callouts between Monday and Thursday compared with the same period last week. Parts of the UK have seen temperatures above 30C in recent days. On Friday, highs of 30C are predicted in London, while Cardiff will only be slightly cooler at 29C. The weekend is expected to be dry and sunny for most parts of the UK at around 30C on Saturday and 29C on Sunday in south-west England. RAC breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson said: 'With the extreme heat expected to continue into the weekend, we're warning drivers to take every precaution possible to avoid getting stranded at the side of the road. 'We've already seen a 10% increase in breakdowns this week with faulty tyres being the main cause. 'When temperatures rise, the heat of the air inside tyres does the same, so it's especially important to check the pressure and condition before a long journey. 'This is especially crucial if your car is parked on the street – rather than in a garage – where it's directly exposed to the sun. 'Anyone heading to a beach or a coastal location should also prepare for the conditions by checking their vehicle's coolant level in advance.' Heat health alerts have been extended into next week for much of England. The UK Health Security Agency said yellow warnings will remain in place for Yorkshire and the Humber, the East and West Midlands, London and the South East, the South West and the east of England until 6pm on August 18. Officials have said the country is suffering from 'nationally significant' water shortfalls. The National Drought Group, which includes the Met Office, regulators, government, water companies and other organisations, has met as five areas of the country remain in drought, with six more in prolonged dry weather status.
BBC News
16 minutes ago
- BBC News
Ross Regatta moves 150th anniversary event upstream amid drought
A rowing club has had to move its 150th anniversary regatta upstream because of low water levels in the River Davies from Ross Rowing Club, who helps to organise Ross Regatta, said the river was "really shallow" near the club's base and "literally ankle deep", meaning "Plan B" would be rolled out for the competition on 24 and 25 competition, held each year in Ross-on-Wye over the August bank holiday weekend, was cancelled in 2024 because of low water year, the Environment Agency has said some rivers have recorded their lowest levels since 1976. Ms Davies said: "It's our 150th aniversary, having been founded in 1875, so we were adamant that we had to go ahead no matter what."But we're doing so safely, and we need to protect people, we need to protect the boats and we need to protect the environment and the river." 'It should all work' She said the river had higher water levels further upstream, adding: "We've moved the entire course upstream to above the A40 bridge, where we'll be rowing on plenty of deep water - deep, wide water - to keep everybody safe and happy and we should have a good race day."She said the race would be "a bit shorter" but added: "We've still got a good 500 metres to be racing down, side by side racing, so it should all work." Oliver Hartland, from the Environment Agency, said: "Across the West Midlands area, we are now in drought and we have been for a month now."This has followed the driest spring that we've seen in 132 years. Some of the rivers in the Midlands area have recorded their lowest level since June 1976."He said fisheries had mainly been impacted, and the agency was redirecting water to where it was needed, while maintaining the balance between requirements for drinking water and the needs of the environment. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
44 minutes ago
- BBC News
Hereford and Worcester fire chief in wildfire plea amid heatwave
People have been asked to help prevent wildfires, as the country faces another heatwave, with the possibility of a further hot spell before the end of Swallow, a group commander at Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, said 2023-24 had seen wet summers with a lot of vegetation growth, but this year it had been "incredibly dry right through spring and summer".Mr Swallow, who is one of the National Fire Chiefs Council's tactical advisors on wildfire, said that vegetation was now essentially "fuel" and "ready to burn".He urged people to be vigilant and not to have any campfires or garden bonfires, which could quickly get out of hand. "In the UK, the majority of wildfires that occur are caused by some sort of human interaction with the environment, whether that's accidental or deliberate," he said."The best the public can do at the moment is not do anything to increase our workload."Mr Swallow said there were nearly 1,000 wildfires in 2022 across England and Wales, adding that fire services were "well on track to pass that number" this said there were 856 fires across England and Wales by Wednesday and more had been reported in the past 48 hours. On Thursday, a major wildfire broke out on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border with 13 fire crews fire involved about two hectares (five acres) of field and woodland, and had been spreading towards a property, but was later brought under control, crews Shropshire, and Hereford and Worcester fire services tackled the blaze together. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
