At 11:30 on Tuesday morning emergency services were called to a large fire in a barn of Hill Farm at the top of Sim's Lane.At it's peak the fire was so large some reported seeing the smoke from as far as Barnadiston. To quell this major blaze the fire service were forced to deploy 4 fire engines plus a turntable ladder to allow access to the flames from above and required two tankers bringing in extra water. Also a Command and Control unit was bought in to help co-ordinate the response.
Firemen were also confronted with the added danger of gas canisters at the rear of the barn forcing police to close off Sim's Lane and Cock Hill due to the risk of explosion. Fortunately the actions of the fire service were enough to keep the flames away from the canisters.
By three thirty that afternoon the fire service were damping down the remains of the barn which had been destroyed along with an attached out building, but the fire service had stopped the fire from spreading to other buildings and a series of caravans parked near the barn. A Fire Investigations Officer was on the scene yesterday afternoon but the fire service have yet to disclose a cause for the blaze.
Also at the scene was the Salvation Army Emergency Response Canteen. This trailer funded by the Salvation Army and manned entirely by volunteers comes out on short notice to many major fires and emergencies and serves hot drinks, sandwiches and hot dogs to firemen in attendance. One weary fireman having a breather after battling the flames and enjoying a cup of tea and a hot dog explained to KedingtonNews.co.uk that with some emergencies such as Tuesdays when the call came in at 11:30am and went on for over four hours firemen can miss out on a meal all together. In such situations the Emergency Response Canteen is "Very welcome."