Scene of last night's barn fire in Marlow.

7 October 2010

More than 20 firefighters and officers were called to a barn fire in Marlow last night.

Crews from High Wycombe, Stokenchurch, Princes Risborough and Beaconsfield were called to a farm in Wycombe Road shortly before 8pm. Relief crews from Marlow and Aylesbury took over at about midnight.

The fire was in a 17 metre by 7 metre barn containing 60 tonnes of baled straw.

At its peak, firefighters used four jets, producing a combined total of about 1,500 litres of water a minute. The water tanker from Princes Risborough was used to supplement the water supply.

An environmental protection officer was at the scene to ensure than none of the water used on the fire entered water courses.

Station Manager John Bull, from High Wycombe Fire Station, said: “The farmer and one of his hands used mechanical lifters to remove a quantity of bales from the barn into the field to prevent the radiated heat igniting several other buildings near to the barn.”

The barn and straw were destroyed in the fire. The suspected cause is arson.