19 December 2010

About 40 firefighters and officers have been at the scene of a fire which severely damaged a barn in Weedon today.

Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service was called to a farm in Aston Abbotts Road at 12.05pm. The three initial crews from Aylesbury were joined by firefighters from Winslow, Waddesdon, Stokenchurch, Princes Risborough, High Wycombe and Bletchley.

Three 9,000-litre water tankers were among the vehicles at the scene, shuttling water from the nearest hydrants so that the supply of water could be maintained. A hose-laying vehicle carrying 1.6 kilometres (one mile) of hose was also there.

The 20-metre by 30-metre barn contained farm machinery, a diesel tank and oil barrels, along with two acetylene cylinders.

Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service notified the Environment Agency and Environmental Health of a large plume of smoke heading towards Aylesbury at about 2pm.

Firefighters used four jets to bring the fire under control. All the original crews had left by 6pm, with relief crews from Great Missenden and Buckingham remaining at the scene to check for hot-spots. Crews from Haddenham and Aylesbury will take over from about 8.30pm.