Firefighters eight hour battle to quell barn blaze

Five fire appliances were tasked to the farm at the Banbridge Road at around 9.30am on Saturday morning.

According to the NI Fire and Rescue Service a large hay shed full of hay was well alight when crews arrived.

“A mechanical digger was used to remove approximately 80 tonnes of hay out into the open to help extinguish the blaze. The hay shed was badly damaged in the fire. Cattle in a nearby cattle shed were removed by the farmer to safety while firefighters tackled the blaze,” said a spokesperson.

DUP Cllr Carla Lockhart commended the NIFRS but raised concerns about the maintenance of water hydrants in rural areas as she had been told this hydrant could not be accessed quickly. She said she would be raising the matter with the Department of Regional Development which now has responsibility .

NIFRS Station Commander McDowell said: “While at rural locations the Fire Service always have a degree of difficulty in getting water and one fire hydrant on Saturday was covered in muck, that had no impact whatsoever because we had water with us.”