NAVESTOCK: Crews face firework hazard as barn blaze tackled (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

NAVESTOCK: Crews face firework hazard as barn blaze tackled

9:24am Thursday 24th January 2008

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FIREFIGHTERS have spent three hours tackling a blaze which broke out in a farm barn in Navestock early this morning.

Six fire crews - from Brentwood, Ongar, Grays and Romford - were called to Howletts Hall Farm in Bounce Hill, Mill Lane, where almost half of the barn, used for storage, was ablaze.

A fire spokesman said that at one point crews were withdrawn because of the potential danger of propane cylinders, diesel and fireworks in the barn, which was surrounded by various other buildings.

Crews had to pump water from a nearby lake and called out electricity engineers because the fire involved overhead power lines.

Divisional Officer Ray Skinner said: "Crews did an excellent job in stopping this fire from spreading and containing it from the barn it originally started in.

"There was no mains water supplying the site but we established a water source from a nearby lake, after crews had done this they got on top of the fire very quickly and it's thanks to their hard work and professionalism that the fire didn't spread to the other buildings.

"There were a small amount of fireworks stored in a compartment in the barn and when the fire reached them there was a lot of banging and popping and crews pulled out, but no one was hurt and the fireworks burned out relatively quickly and we were able to get back in to attack the fire.

"There were also some propane cylinders and a diesel tank involved. At one point the diesel tank got quiet hot, but we got a jet on it and cooled it so there was no danger that it would ignite."

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